As of February 2025, 5.56 billion individuals worldwide were internet users, 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 20254. In The Netherlands, Norway and Saudi Arabia, 99 percent of the population used the internet as of February 2025. North Korea was at the opposite end of the spectrum, with virtually no internet usage penetration among the general population, ranking last worldwide. Eastern Asia was home to the largest number of online users worldwide – over 1.34 billion at the latest count. Southern Asia ranked second, with around 1.2 billion 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 2024, 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 African countries, with around a ten percent difference. Worldwide regions, like the Commonwealth of Independent States and Europe, showed a smaller usage gap between these two genders. As of 2024, global internet usage was higher among individuals between 15 and 24 years old 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 2024, the estimated number of internet users worldwide was 5.5 billion, up from 5.3 billion in the previous year. This share represents 68 percent of the global population. Internet access around the world Easier access to computers, the modernization of countries worldwide, and increased utilization of smartphones have allowed people to use the internet more frequently and conveniently. However, internet penetration often pertains to the current state of development regarding communications networks. As of January 2023, there were approximately 1.05 billion total internet users in China and 692 million total internet users in the United States. Online activities Social networking is one of the most popular online activities worldwide, and Facebook is the most popular online network based on active usage. As of the fourth quarter of 2023, there were over 3.07 billion monthly active Facebook users, accounting for well more than half of the internet users worldwide. Connecting with family and friends, expressing opinions, entertainment, and online shopping are amongst the most popular reasons for internet usage.

As of February 2025, 67.9 percent of the global population accessed the internet. This figure has increased significantly in recent years, with only 53 percent of the global population using the internet in 2018. As of the measured month, internet users worldwide were around 5.56 billion.

The average for 2023 based on 177 countries was 72.46 percent. The highest value was in Bahrain: 100 percent and the lowest value was in Burundi: 11.1 percent. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

As of February 2025, around 322 million people in the United States accessed the internet, making it one of the largest online markets worldwide. The country currently ranks third after China and India by the online audience size. Overview of internet usage in the United States The digital population in the United States has constantly increased in recent years. Among the most common reasons is the growing accessibility of broadband internet. A big part of the country's digital audience accesses the web via mobile phones. In 2024, the country saw an estimated 97.1 percent mobile internet user penetration. According to a 2024 survey, over 51 percent of U.S. women and 43 percent of men said it is important to them to have mobile internet access anywhere, at any time. Another 41 percent of respondents could not imagine their everyday life without the internet. Google and YouTube are the most visited websites in the country, while music, food, and drinks were the most discussed online topics. Internet usage demographics in the United States While some users can no longer imagine their life without the internet, others do not use it at all. According to 2021 data, 25 percent of U.S. adults 65 and older reported not using the internet. Despite this, online usage was strong across other age groups, especially young adults aged 18 to 49. This age group also reported the highest percentage of smartphone usage in the country as of 2023. Due to a persistent lack of connectivity in rural areas, more online users were based in urban areas of the U.S. than in the countryside.

The population share with internet access in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total *** percentage points. After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the internet penetration is estimated to reach ***** percent and therefore a new peak in 2029. Notably, the population share with 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 any means. 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 more than 150 countries and regions worldwide. All input data are sourced from international institutions, national statistical offices, and trade associations. All data has been are processed to generate comparable datasets (see supplementary notes under details for more information).

As of 2025, approximately 93.1 percent of the United States' population accessed the internet, up from approximately 71 percent in 2013. The United States is one of the biggest online markets worldwide. Additionally, in 2025, over 322 million individuals in the country went online. Furthermore, social media apps were among the most popular category of mobile apps used in the market. Social media usage in the U.S. Social media usage in the United States has seen significant growth in recent years, amassing 310 million as of 2025. By the third quarter of 2024, internet users in the U.S. were spending around two hours on social media out of seven hours of internet usage. The most common activities among U.S. users include sending private messages and liking posts or following people, which highlights widespread engagement with social media platforms among internet users in the United States. TikTok surge in the U.S. TikTok continues to be one of the most popular social media platforms in the United States. As of February 2025, over 135 million individuals or 45 percent of internet users in the country used the social network. This surge in popularity is the result of user’s high engagement with short-form videos and quick entertainment in which TikTok managed to capture users’ attention. Users in the United States spent an average of 45 hours and 37 minutes monthly in 2023.

Individuals using the Internet (% of population) in Bangladesh was reported at 44.5 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Individuals using the Internet (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on September of 2025.

Belgium BE: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data was reported at 94.600 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 94.000 % for 2022. Belgium BE: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 64.400 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2023, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 94.600 % in 2023 and a record low of 0.001 % in 1990. Belgium BE: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Belgium – Table BE.World Bank.WDI: Telecommunication. Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.;International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database;Weighted average;Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data.

This dataset is imported from the US Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and its "Data Explorer" site. The underlying data comes from the US Census

1. dataset: Specifies the month and year of the survey as a string, in "Mon YYYY" format. The CPS is a monthly survey, and NTIA periodically sponsors Supplements to that survey.

2. variable: Contains the standardized name of the variable being measured. NTIA identified the availability of similar data across Supplements, and assigned variable names to ease time-series comparisons.

3. description: Provides a concise description of the variable.

4. universe: Specifies the variable representing the universe of persons or households included in the variable's statistics. The specified variable is always included in the file. The only variables lacking universes are isPerson and isHouseholder, as they are themselves the broadest universes measured in the CPS.

5. A large number of *Prop, *PropSE, *Count, and *CountSE columns comprise the remainder of the columns. For each demographic being measured (see below), four statistics are produced, including the estimated proportion of the group for which the variable is true (*Prop), the standard error of that proportion (*PropSE), the estimated number of persons or households in that group for which the variable is true (*Count), and the standard error of that count (*CountSE).

DEMOGRAPHIC CATEGORIES

1. us: The usProp, usPropSE, usCount, and usCountSE columns contain statistics about all persons and households in the universe (which represents the population of the fifty states and the District and Columbia). For example, to see how the prevelance of Internet use by Americans has changed over time, look at the usProp column for each survey's internetUser variable.

2. age: The age category is divided into five ranges: ages 3-14, 15-24, 25-44, 45-64, and 65+. The CPS only includes data on Americans ages 3 and older. Also note that household reference persons must be at least 15 years old, so the age314* columns are blank for household-based variables. Those columns are also blank for person-based variables where the universe is "isAdult" (or a sub-universe of "isAdult"), as the CPS defines adults as persons ages 15 or older. Finally, note that some variables where children are technically in the univese will show zero values for the age314* columns. This occurs in cases where a variable simply cannot be true of a child (e.g. the workInternetUser variable, as the CPS presumes children under 15 are not eligible to work), but the topic of interest is relevant to children (e.g. locations of Internet use).

3. work: Employment status is divided into "Employed," "Unemployed," and "NILF" (Not in the Labor Force). These three categories reflect the official BLS definitions used in official labor force statistics. Note that employment status is only recorded in the CPS for individuals ages 15 and older. As a result, children are excluded from the universe when calculating statistics by work status, even if they are otherwise considered part of the universe for the variable of interest.

4. income: The income category represents annual family income, rather than just an individual person's income. It is divided into five ranges: below $25K, $25K-49,999, $50K-74,999, $75K-99,999, and $100K or more. Statistics by income group are only available in this file for Supplements beginning in 2010; prior to 2010, family income range is available in public use datasets, but is not directly comparable to newer datasets due to the 2010 introduction of the practice of allocating "don't know," "refused," and other responses that result in missing data. Prior to 2010, family income is unkown for approximately 20 percent of persons, while in 2010 the Census Bureau began imputing likely income ranges to replace missing data.

5. education: Educational attainment is divided into "No Diploma," "High School Grad," "Some College," and "College Grad." High school graduates are considered to include GED completers, and those with some college include community college attendees (and graduates) and those who have attended certain postsecondary vocational or technical schools--in other words, it signifies additional education beyond high school, but short of attaining a bachelor's degree or equivilent. Note that educational attainment is only recorded in the CPS for individuals ages 15 and older. As a result, children are excluded from the universe when calculating statistics by education, even if they are otherwise considered part of the universe for the variable of interest.

6. sex: "Male" and "Female" are the two groups in this category. The CPS does not currently provide response options for intersex individuals.

7. race: This category includes "White," "Black," "Hispanic," "Asian," "Am Indian," and "Other" groups. The CPS asks about Hispanic origin separately from racial identification; as a result, all persons identifying as Hispanic are in the Hispanic group, regardless of how else they identify. Furthermore, all non-Hispanic persons identifying with two or more races are tallied in the "Other" group (along with other less-prevelant responses). The Am Indian group includes both American Indians and Alaska Natives.

8. disability: Disability status is divided into "No" and "Yes" groups, indicating whether the person was identified as having a disability. Disabilities screened for in the CPS include hearing impairment, vision impairment (not sufficiently correctable by glasses), cognitive difficulties arising from physical, mental, or emotional conditions, serious difficulty walking or climbing stairs, difficulty dressing or bathing, and difficulties performing errands due to physical, mental, or emotional conditions. The Census Bureau began collecting data on disability status in June 2008; accordingly, this category is unavailable in Supplements prior to that date. Note that disability status is only recorded in the CPS for individuals ages 15 and older. As a result, children are excluded from the universe when calculating statistics by disability status, even if they are otherwise considered part of the universe for the variable of interest.

9. metro: Metropolitan status is divided into "No," "Yes," and "Unkown," reflecting information in the dataset about the household's location. A household located within a metropolitan statistical area is assigned to the Yes group, and those outside such areas are assigned to No. However, due to the risk of de-anonymization, the metropolitan area status of certain households is unidentified in public use datasets. In those cases, the Census Bureau has determined that revealing this geographic information poses a disclosure risk. Such households are tallied in the Unknown group.

10. scChldHome:

As of February 2024, over a third of online users worldwide were aged between 25 and 34 years. Website visitors in this age bracket constituted the biggest group of online users worldwide. Also, 19 percent of global online users were aged 18 to 24 years. The global digital population aged 65 or older represented approximately 4.2 percent of all internet users worldwide. Social media usage and Meta Social media is a major driver of internet use, with a global penetration rate of 62.2 percent. On average, internet users spend 143 minutes per day on social media, highlighting its significant impact on daily online activities. The usage of social media is mostly dominated by Meta platforms, which own four of the largest social media platforms. Facebook leads the ranking with over three billion active users, followed by Instagram and WhatsApp. Instagram's global popularity Meta’s social video platform, Instagram, had long been one of the most engaging social media platforms worldwide, and it was projected to reach 1.44 billion monthly active users. Instagram was particularly favored by users aged 18 to 34, thanks to its ability to offer a variety of interactive content, from images and carousels. This diverse range of content types was a key factor in its popularity among its young user base.

Individuals using the Internet (% of population) by country in each of the following years: 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, & 2016. Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc. Data Sources: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, and World Bank estimates via World Bank DataBank (http://databank.worldbank.org); Natural Earth 50M scale data.

Spain: Internet users, percent of population: The latest value from 2023 is 95.4 percent, an increase from 94.5 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 72.46 percent, based on data from 177 countries. Historically, the average for Spain from 1990 to 2023 is 46.36 percent. The minimum value, 0.01 percent, was reached in 1990 while the maximum of 95.4 percent was recorded in 2023.

Cape Verde CV: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data was reported at 57.162 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 50.323 % for 2016. Cape Verde CV: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 7.546 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57.162 % in 2017 and a record low of 0.000 % in 1990. Cape Verde CV: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Cabo Verde – Table CV.World Bank: Telecommunication. Internet users are individuals who have used the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months. The Internet can be used via a computer, mobile phone, personal digital assistant, games machine, digital TV etc.; ; International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.; Weighted average; Please cite the International Telecommunication Union for third-party use of these data.

Nigeria: Internet users, percent of population: The latest value from 2023 is 39.2 percent, an increase from 37.7 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 72.46 percent, based on data from 177 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1990 to 2023 is 13.49 percent. The minimum value, 0 percent, was reached in 1990 while the maximum of 39.2 percent was recorded in 2023.

The global number of internet users in was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 1.3 billion users (+23.66 percent). After the fifteenth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 7 billion 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 the Americas and Asia.

This scatter chart displays individuals using the Internet (% of population) against population (people) in Egypt. The data is filtered where the date is 2023. The data is about countries per year.

In 2024, Eastern Asia accounted for approximately 1.34 billion of the world’s internet users, followed by Southern Asia with over 1.1 billion. The global digital population in April 2022 amounted to 5.5 billion internet users in total. Internet user growth worldwide With constantly declining smartphone prices and improvements in digital infrastructure, the increasing connectivity among global online audiences is moving along at a steady pace. Many previously underserviced regions have begun to profit from mobile online connections, leapfrogging the desktop PC development phase and starting out as mobile-first societies. The fastest growing online populations based on relative year-on-year user growth include many African nations, led by the Western Sahara where online audiences grew 364 percent annually. Despite the growing number of internet users in Africa, the continent still lags behind other regions in terms of online adoption. The highest on the continent was Southern Africa with a penetration rate of 68 percent, Middle Africa was ranked last worldwide. The region had an online penetration rate of just 25 percent, highlighting the ongoing struggles for connectivity but also the untapped digital potential within Africa.

This statistic presents the fastest growing online populations based on relative year-on-year user growth as of January 2020. During the measured period, it was found that online audiences in the Republic of the Congo grew 126 percent in total.

In 2025, China reported adding ***million new users to its massive **** billion internet population. The first half-year data in 2024 revealed that nearly *****of the new internet users were between 10 and 18 years old, while a ***** were older adults aged above 50 years. The largest online community In 2024, China accounted for about ********* of the *** billion internet users worldwide. However, compared to its total population, China’s internet penetration rate is lower than in other Asian countries. Penetration rates in both South Korea and Japan were significantly higher. The market potential Internet usage in China is further characterized by a large regional discrepancy. In rural regions, the internet access rate is much lower than the national level. On the other side, the Chinese market is a mobile-first nation. Since 2014, more Chinese people have accessed the internet via mobile devices than computers. The number of mobile internet users in China increased steadily over the previous decade.