Internet Use by Country
With over 5 billion global internet users going online every day for a multitude of reasons, there’s no question that the web has taken over the daily lives of consumers worldwide.
That said, accessibility to the internet can vary greatly from country to country. Here’s a look at the internet penetration rate by country.
Internet use by country: top 10
The latest data shows that, at 99%, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates have the highest internet penetration rates in the world in 2023. Essentially, nearly every single person living in these four countries uses the internet. Their penetration rates are significantly higher than the worldwide average of 65.7%.
Despite their joint lead, the amount of time spent online by internet users in these four countries differs pretty significantly. Globally, the average amount of time spent on the internet per day is six hours and 41 minutes. In Norway, internet users spend five hours and 43 minutes a day, nearly a full hour shorter than the global average. But in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, the total time spent online is significantly higher at seven hours and one minute and seven hours and 34 minutes, respectively.
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Incidentally, the UAE also has one of the fastest fixed internet speeds in the world. At over 200 megabytes per second, it’s the country with the fourth-fastest connection for downloads.
Fourth and fifth on the list comparing internet use by country are Switzerland and Denmark, both of which have penetration rates of over 98%. Internet users in Switzerland are online for five hours and 34 minutes, while those in Denmark spend five hours and 15 minutes online every day.
Internet use by country: sixth to 10th
The United Kingdom ranks next, with an internet penetration rate of 97.8%. Internet users there spend five hours and 59 minutes a day online.
South Korea and Malaysia follow on the list of internet use by country with internet penetration rates of 97.6% and 97.4%, respectively. The average daily time spent online by internet users in these two countries is vastly different. In South Korea, this number is five hours and 14 minutes, lower than the global average, while in Malaysia, it’s eight hours and 20 minutes.
The countries with the ninth- and tenth-highest internet usage are Sweden and Singapore. Their penetration rates are 97.2% and 96.9%, respectively.