Internet Usage by Country 2026

Executive summary

This index ranks 49 of the world's largest economies by internet users (% of population), using World Bank Open Data for cross-country comparability, and goes beyond a single snapshot: it shows the nominal figure, a ten-year history, a regional breakdown and the biggest movers. United Arab Emirates leads at 100.0% (2024); Nigeria is lowest among those ranked at 41.2%. Sweden ranks 13th of 49 at 95.8% (2025). As reference points, the EU stands at n/a, the OECD at n/a and the world at 73.6%. Every figure carries its World Bank series and reference year, and the complete dataset is free to download as CSV and JSON under a CC BY 4.0 licence.

Key findings

Overview

Internet penetration — the share of the population that uses the internet — is the foundational metric of the digital economy. This index ranks countries by internet users as a percentage of population (World Bank, compiled from the ITU).

Advanced economies now cluster near universal access (the high 90s), so the interesting variation is increasingly at the margins and among emerging economies still closing the digital divide.

What drives the ranking

Internet use is driven by income, infrastructure (fibre and mobile networks), affordability, and digital literacy. Mobile-first adoption has let many emerging economies leapfrog fixed broadband.

The Nordics and East Asian economies were early to near-universal access; the remaining global gap is concentrated in lower-income and rural populations.

What the data reveals

The field is relatively even at the top: the leader, United Arab Emirates, at 100.0% is about 1.1× the median of 91.9% across the 49 economies, and 1.0× the second-placed Saudi Arabia. In other words, internet users (% of population) varies widely but without an extreme outlier.

What the data says about Sweden: at 95.8% it ranks 13th of 49 — the upper half — above the median of 91.9%. That places Sweden in the solid middle of the field on internet users (% of population).

The spread is wide: the upper quartile of economies clusters around 95.8% and the lower quartile around 85.9%, while the leader United Arab Emirates is 2.4× the lowest-ranked Nigeria (41.2%). The quartile split is a cleaner read on typical internet users (% of population) than a simple average, which a few extreme values can distort.

Top 5 vs bottom 5

The five highest and five lowest economies on internet users (% of population) side by side — the clearest snapshot of the range across the 49 ranked economies.

Limitations & notes

This ranking uses the latest year each economy reports to the World Bank; reporting lags differ, so some countries carry data a year or two older than others (see the year column in the full table). It measures internet users (% of population) as the source defines it — not its causes, quality, or wider welfare implications, and not any single 'best' outcome. Every figure is an official World Bank series, not an Affärslivet estimate; the complete dataset with per-country years and sources is free to download and reproduce below.

How it has changed over time

The chart tracks internet users (% of population) for United Arab Emirates (the current leader) against Sweden over the past decade; the table below shows the top economies year by year.

By region

Median internet users (% of population) by world region among the ranked economies. Regional medians reveal patterns the country ranking alone can hide.

Biggest movers

The largest changes in internet users (% of population) over the available window — where the action has been.

Full ranking — 49 economies

Complete ranking by internet users (% of population), most recent World Bank data, with world region. Region aggregates (EU, OECD, World) appear in the At-a-glance box as reference points.

Scoreboard (machine-readable data)

Every headline indicator with its value, period, source and confidence. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.

↓ CSV · ↓ JSON

Methodology & verification

Economies are ranked by internet users (% of population) using the World Bank Open Data API, which harmonises national statistics for cross-country comparison. Each value is the most recent year available for that economy, shown alongside the figure; the trend table uses each economy's reported history. Economies with no reported value are omitted rather than estimated. Region aggregates (EU, euro area, OECD, World) are reference points, not ranked. Definitions of an 'internet user' and survey methods vary by country, and the most recent year can lag, so small differences near the top of the table are not meaningful. Confidence: High (official multilateral source).

Data dictionary

Frequently asked questions

Glossary

Internet Users (% Of Population)

Internet users (% of population) — as reported by the World Bank. ↗

World Bank Open Data

A free, authoritative database of harmonised economic indicators for every country. ↗

Purchasing-power parity (PPP)

A conversion that equalises the price of a comparable basket of goods across countries, so output and incomes can be compared in real terms rather than at market exchange rates. ↗

Nominal (current US$)

A value converted at prevailing market exchange rates and not adjusted for differences in price levels. ↗

GNI per capita

Gross national income per person — like GDP per capita but including net income earned abroad; useful where cross-border corporate flows are large. ↗

Reference year

The year a figure applies to; it can differ across countries because national statistics are published on different schedules. ↗

Region aggregate

A World Bank grouping (e.g. European Union, OECD, World) whose value is a weighted regional total or average, shown here for reference rather than ranked. ↗

Sources

• World Bank Open Data — Internet users (% of population)
• International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
• World Bank Open Data (home)
• IMF World Economic Outlook (comparison)
• OECD Data
• Affärslivet — Sweden Economic Indicators

Related reports & data

• CO2 Emissions per Capita by Country 2026
• R&D Spending by Country 2026
• Affärslivet Business Climate Index
• Sweden Economic Indicators