The percentage of households with internet access in Central & Western Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 3.2 percentage points. After the seventh consecutive increasing year, the internet penetration is estimated to reach 96.21 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Depicted is the share of housholds with internet access in the country or region at hand.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the percentage of households with internet access in countries like Northern Europe and Russia.

The percentage of households with internet access in Eastern Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 6.9 percentage points. After the twenty-eighth consecutive increasing year, the internet penetration is estimated to reach 96.38 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the percentage of households with internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the share of housholds with internet access in the country or region at hand.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the percentage of households with internet access in countries like Southern Europe and Northern Europe.

The number of smartphone users in Eastern Europe was forecast to increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 23.5 million users (+12.83 percent). This overall increase does not happen continuously, notably not in 2029. The smartphone user base is estimated to amount to 206.69 million users in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Southern Europe and Central & Western Europe.

The number of social media users in Eastern Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 40.5 million users (+23.11 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 215.71 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of social media users in countries like Central & Western Europe and Russia.

The number of social media users in Central & Western Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 43.4 million users (+19.56 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the social media user base is estimated to reach 265.37 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of social media users of was continuously increasing over the past years.The shown figures regarding social media users have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of social media users in countries like Russia and Northern Europe.

The number of Youtube users in Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 7.8 million users (+3.61 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the Youtube user base is estimated to reach 223.61 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of Youtube users of was continuously increasing over the past years.User figures, shown here regarding the platform youtube, have been estimated by taking into account company filings or press material, secondary research, app downloads and traffic data. They refer to the average monthly active users over the period.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of Youtube users in countries like North America and Australia & Oceania.

The number of mobile broadband connections in Northern Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 4.1 million connections (+8.36 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of connections is estimated to reach 53.17 million connections and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of mobile broadband connections of was continuously increasing over the past years.Mobile broadband connections include cellular connections with a download speed of at least 256 kbit/s (without satellite or fixed-wireless connections). Cellular Internet-of-Things (IoT) or machine-to-machine (M2M) connections are excluded. The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of mobile broadband connections in countries like Eastern Europe and Central & Western Europe.

The number of internet users in Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 50.7 million users (+6.8 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 796 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of internet users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Depicted is the estimated number of individuals in the country or region at hand, that use the internet. As the datasource clarifies, connection quality and usage frequency are distinct aspects, not taken into account here.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of internet users in countries like Africa and Asia.

The share of households with internet access in the European Union saw no significant changes in 2023 in comparison to the previous year 2022 and remained at around 93.09 percent. Nevertheless, 2023 still represents a peak in the share of households with internet access in the European Union with 93.09 percent. The EU survey on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in households and by individuals is an annual survey conducted since 2002 aiming at collecting and disseminating harmonised and comparable information on the use of ICT in households and by individuals. Data presented in this domain are collected on a yearly basis by the National Statistical Institutes and are based on Eurostat's annual model questionnaire. This questionnaire is updated each year to reflect the evolving situation of information and communication technologiesFind more statistics on in the European Union with key insights such as share of urban households with internet access, share of suburban households with internet access, and share of rural households with internet access.

As of 2022, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranked Norway and Denmark as the European Union member states with the highest share of the population using the internet. Both countries had an online usage penetration rate of more than 96 percent. In the same year, Bulgaria was the EU state with the lowest internet penetration rate, with only 79 percent of people using the internet. Overall, the average internet penetration in the European Union stood at around 89 percent.

In 2020, 91 percent of households across the EU-27 had access to the internet. The increase of one percent in comparison to the previous year continued the trend of improved household access that can be observed across the European Union. Countries like Germany and Belgium continued to expand their already high shares by small increments, while other European countries with initially smaller shares like Poland and Latvia made more headway in their improvements. Some countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, and Norway, however, saw a decrease of overall access to the internet in 2020. All countries that saw such a decline still ranked among the nations with the highest overall percentage of households with access to the internet.

The population share with mobile internet access in Central & Western Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 5.1 percentage points. After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the mobile internet penetration is estimated to reach 88.18 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the population share with mobile internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via a mobile broadband connection.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the population share with mobile internet access in countries like Russia and Southern Europe.

The European questionnaire on Information and Communication Technologies Data reveals that there exists a disparity between the internet usage of people from different age groups. This disparity although present in most countries, differs widely in its severity.

In 2019, 95 percent of users across the European Union (EU-27) between 16 and 24 years used the internet on a daily basis. Furthermore, 94 percent of people between the age of 25 and 34 used the internet daily so the survey. 90 percent of people between 35 and 44 also used the internet daily. The share of people between 45 and 54 was 82 percent, for people between 55 and 64 the share was lowest among all age groups, with 69 percent of them using the internet daily.

The number of smartphone users in Southern Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 21.6 million users (+10.77 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the smartphone user base is estimated to reach 222.23 million users and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the number of smartphone users of was continuously increasing over the past years.Smartphone users here are limited to internet users of any age using a smartphone. The shown figures have been derived from survey data that has been processed to estimate missing demographics.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the number of smartphone users in countries like Northern Europe and Russia.

The share of daily internet users in the European Union increased by 3.6 percentage points since the previous year. Therefore, the share of daily internet users in the European Union reached a peak in 2022 with 84 percent. Notably, the share of daily internet users continuously increased over the last years.The EU survey on the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in households and by individuals is an annual survey conducted since 2002 aiming at collecting and disseminating harmonised and comparable information on the use of ICT in households and by individuals. Data presented in this domain are collected on a yearly basis by the National Statistical Institutes and are based on Eurostat's annual model questionnaire. This questionnaire is updated each year to reflect the evolving situation of information and communication technologiesFind more statistics on other topics about the European Union with key insights such as share of internet users seeking health information online, share of internet users informing themselves about goods and services online, share of internet users looking for and applying for jobs online, share of internet users reading news online, share of internet users engaging in online learning activities, and share of people that upload self-created content.

As of December 2021, Germany had the highest number of internet users among all European Union (EU) countries. This stood at over 79.1 million, roughly 95 percent of the entire population. The second highest figure was seen in France. Meanwhile, there were nearly 390 thousand internet users in Malta, making it the country with the lowest number of internet users in the European Union (EU).

Internet access in the EU

Over the past decade the share of households with access to the internet in the European Union (EU) has grown to reach 91 percent in 2020 . This was over a 30 percent increase from 2008, when just 59 percent of all EU households had internet access. As a whole, internet usage in Europe continues to rise with mobile internet in particular having seen substantial year-on-year growth since its infancy a decade ago. This growth is expected to continue, with 83 percent of Europeans forecast to have mobile internet access by 2025.

Internet use worldwide

In 2021, the highest percentage of internet usage worldwide was among the Europeans. Meanwhile, the Philippines ranked first in the daily time spent online, an average of 10 hours and 23 minutes. Thanks to the boom in mobile internet, worldwide spending on both the Google Play and Apple App Store is also forecast to increase each year. Overall, spending on the App Store is expected to be more than double that on Google Play by 2026.

As of 2024, internet penetration in Europe was the highest among the world regions, growing from nearly 60 percent in 2009 to 91 percent in the latest measured year. Internet use in Africa was the lowest worldwide, at 38 percent. As of the same year, the total global internet reach translated to an estimated 4.9 billion internet users worldwide. Europe digital dominance Europe remains the most connected region globally, with steady growth in internet usage. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of internet users rose by 3 percent, and projected to reach 800 million by 2029. As of October 2024, Northern Europe was the first region worldwide by internet penetration, accounting for 97.5 percent penetration rate, while four of the six countries with the highest internet penetration rate worldwide are European, which highlights the region's dominance. Africa’s digital growth Internet use in Africa continues to grow, with mobile devices accounting for most of the web traffic across major African markets. Between 2023 and 2024, the number of internet users on the continent increased by nearly 13 percent, while the number of mobile internet users increased by 26 percent, reaching 331 million. As of January 2024, Morocco was leading with an impressive internet penetration rate of around 91 percent, while countries like Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa had the highest number of internet users in the continent.

The population share with mobile internet access in Europe was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 7.9 percentage points. After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the mobile internet penetration is estimated to reach 89.83 percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the population share with mobile internet access of was continuously increasing over the past years.The penetration rate refers to the share of the total population having access to the internet via a mobile broadband connection.The shown data are an excerpt of Statista's Key Market Indicators (KMI). The KMI are a collection of primary and secondary indicators on the macro-economic, demographic and technological environment in up to 150 countries and regions worldwide. All indicators are sourced from international and national statistical offices, trade associations and the trade press and they are processed to generate comparable data sets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).Find more key insights for the population share with mobile internet access in countries like Worldwide and Africa.

As of February 2025, there were 5.56 billion internet users worldwide, which amounted to 67.9 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.24 billion, or 63.9 percent of the world's population, were social media users. Global internet usage Connecting billions of people worldwide, the internet is a core pillar of the modern information society. Northern Europe ranked first among worldwide regions by the share of the population using the internet in 2024. In The Netherlands, Norway and Saudi Arabia, 99 percent of the population used the internet as of April 2024. North Korea was at the opposite end of the spectrum, with virtually no internet usage penetration among the general population, ranking last worldwide. Asia was home to the largest number of online users worldwide – over 2.93 billion at the latest count. Europe ranked second, with around 750 million internet users. China, India, and the United States rank ahead of other countries worldwide by the number of internet users. Worldwide internet user demographics As of 2023, the share of female internet users worldwide was 65 percent, five percent less than that of men. Gender disparity in internet usage was bigger in the Arab States and Africa, with around a ten percent difference. Worldwide regions, like the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe, showed a smaller gender gap. As of 2023, global internet usage was higher among individuals between 15 and 24 years across all regions, with young people in Europe representing the most significant usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group 15–24 years was 79 percent. The income level of the countries was also an essential factor for internet access, as 93 percent of the population of the countries with high income reportedly used the internet, as opposed to only 27 percent of the low-income markets.

As of February 2025, Northern Europe ranked first by the internet penetration rate, with over 97.9 percent of its population using the internet. Western Europe followed, with 95.1 percent. Overall, the global average internet penetration rate was roughly 67.9 percent. Global internet use The ongoing development of telecommunication networks and infrastructure has directly impacted internet penetration on a global scale. Thanks to advancing mobile technology and the continuous modernization of previously less-developed regions, the number of internet users worldwide has been on the rise in recent years, reaching 5.45 billion as of July 2024. In the world-wide-web, Google's Chrome still holds the largest market share for internet browsers, roughly 65.2 percent of the total market as of August 2024, followed by Apple's Safari at nearly 19 percent. Majority of global internet users are in Asia Asia has the most extensive internet user base – more than an estimated 2.9 billion internet users in this region alone – with East Asia accounting for most of this share. Despite this region's large volume of internet users, Asia is far from being a leader regarding online penetration. Eastern Asia, for instance, had an online penetration rate of 75.3 percent as of April 2023.