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 October 2025, 6.04 billion individuals worldwide were internet users, which amounted to 73.2 percent of the global population. Of this total, 5.66 billion, or 68.7 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 2025. 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 10-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 considerable usage penetration, 98 percent. In comparison, the worldwide average for the age group of 15 to 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.

Internet use in the UK annual estimates by age, sex, disability, ethnic group, economic activity and geographical location, including confidence intervals.

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 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.

Context :

This dataset provides an overview of global internet users by country between 2021 and 2024, derived from the Wikipedia page "List of countries by number of Internet users." The data includes the total number of internet users in each country, the percentage of the population using the internet, and the population of each country as of 2021. The data was collected from reliable sources like household surveys and internet subscription statistics, providing valuable insights into global connectivity trends.

This dataset can be used to explore digital penetration rates, compare internet adoption by region, and analyze how internet usage has evolved across countries over time. The motivation behind this dataset is to contribute to research on digital inclusion and global technology access.

This dataset provides a comprehensive overview of global internet usage as of 2024. It includes the number of internet users in each country, the percentage of the population with internet access, and the total internet traffic generated. This dataset can be used to analyze trends in internet adoption, digital inequality, and the potential impact of the internet on various sectors of the global economy.

Graph and download economic data for Internet users for the United States (ITNETUSERP2USA) from 1990 to 2023 about internet, persons, and USA.

The number of internet users in the United States was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 13.5 million users (+4.16 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 337.67 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).

Internet Users Survey - Technology Use for Internet Access by the Internet Users since 2012

This dataset contains country-level internet usage data from 2000 to 2023. It provides the percentage of the population using the internet in different countries over time. This data can be useful for analyzing global internet penetration, digital adoption trends, and technological growth across regions.

🔹 Dataset Information:

• Country Name & Code – Identifies each country.
• Yearly Internet Usage (%) – The percentage of the population using the internet from 2000 to 2023.
• Missing Values (No Data) – Some countries may have missing data for certain years.

📈 Potential Use Cases:

• Trend Analysis: Explore how internet usage has evolved globally.
• Regional Comparisons: Compare internet adoption across countries and continents.
• Machine Learning Applications
  • Time-Series Forecasting – Predict future internet usage trends using models like ARIMA, LSTM, or Prophet.
  • Clustering & Segmentation – Group countries based on their internet adoption rates using k-means or hierarchical clustering.
  • Feature Engineering – Use internet penetration as a predictor in socio-economic or technological development models.

📌 Source:

Modified from this source World bank group data

This dataset is valuable for data visualization, time-series analysis, and policy-making research related to digital growth.

As of February 2025, Asia was home to the highest percentage of global internet users, with almost a quarter of worldwide internet users being based in Eastern Asia. Southern Asia ranked second, representing 20.1 percent of the global online users. Furthermore, the internet users in South-Eastern Asia were almost ten percent of the overall internet users worldwide.

Historical data of internet users per 100 people since 1954

Denmark DK: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data was reported at 97.099 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 96.968 % for 2016. Denmark DK: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 78.595 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 28 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 97.099 % in 2017 and a record low of 0.097 % in 1990. Denmark DK: 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 Denmark – Table DK.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.

Turkey TR: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data was reported at 64.685 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 58.348 % for 2016. Turkey TR: Internet Users: Individuals: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 15.020 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 64.685 % in 2017 and a record low of 0.000 % in 1990. Turkey TR: 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 Turkey – Table TR.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.

As of October 2025, China has the world’s largest online population, with approximately 1.3 billion internet users. India, currently the most populous nation, ranks second with about 1.03 billion users. The United States follows in third place. Worldwide internet usage As of October 2025, there are more than six billion internet users worldwide. However, user distribution varies significantly by region. In 2024, Eastern Asia alone accounted for 1.34 billion internet users, while Africa and the Middle East reported considerably lower figures. As expected, urban areas also exhibited higher rates of internet access compared to rural regions. Internet use in China It is no surprise that China ranks first among countries with the most internet users. Driven by rapid economic development and a strong cultural embrace of technology, 91.6 percent of China’s estimated 1.4 billion residents are online. As of the third quarter of 2024, about 91.8 percent of Chinese internet users were active on WeChat, the country’s most popular social platform. During the same period, Chinese internet users spent an average of five hours and 33 minutes online each day.

The statistical operation Survey on the Information Society-ESI-Families, provides regular information on the implementation of New Information and Communication Technology -ICT- in the population of the Basque Country. Specifically, it records and describes ICT equipment of the population both in the home and the place of study or in the workplace and measures the level of use made of it, especially as related to the Internet. It lets us compare the level of implementation of these ICT technologies In Basque society in relation to other surrounding communities.

The number of internet users in North America was forecast to continuously increase between 2024 and 2029 by in total 34.8 million users (+7.35 percent). After the ninth consecutive increasing year, the number of users is estimated to reach 508.2 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 information concerning Saudi Arabia and Indonesia.

Dataset

This dataset was created by Christa VanOlst

Contents

As of October 2025, 73.2 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 6.04 billion. Where do people use the internet the most? Northern Europe has the most comprehensive internet coverage in the world. According to January 2025 data, nearly 98 percent of the population of this part of Europe went online. Europe’s western part ranked second among other world regions, with around 95 percent. Southern Asia, as well as Western, Middle, and Eastern Africa, ranked lower than the worldwide average of nearly 68 percent. There is a different picture when it comes to the number of internet users in the world. As of January 2025, China had the highest number of online users, amounting to 1.1 billion, followed by India, with 806 million users. What do people do online? The internet nowadays is one of the main sources of information for the average user in 2025. Accordingly, nearly 63 percent of adults worldwide, when asked about the most common reasons to go online, said they did so to find information. Almost the same share of respondents said they stayed in touch with friends and family via the internet. Additionally, 55 percent of them said they received news updates online.