Tonight’s “By the Numbers” post focuses on something a bit more macro than the rest. I recently had to write a piece about internet usage and needed to find out how many people used the internet. That got me thinking that we often look at individual websites and platforms here, but I’ve never taken a step back and explored the framework that makes all of this possible.
Photo by James Cridland
Here are the most interesting internet usage statistics I was able to dig up including how many people actually use the internet and how many don’t.
As always, I will be updating this post often, so be sure to check back in the future for updated and new stats.
This contains all the internet statistics I have been able to dig up over the years; 50+ of them including stats on:
- Global internet usage stats
- US internet usage stats
- India internet usage stats
- China internet usage stats
- Etc.- all in one place
I try to go through each and every stat regularly and update as much as possible, but we all know that some stats are easier to track down than others. As always, every stat is linked to its original source and has the source date listed.
To get your copy of this stat report, click on the button below to purchase it. I will be updating it as close to quarterly as possible, so be sure to check back regularly for a new version.
Please note that some of these numbers are easier to find than others, so some of these are based on studies and surveys of varying sizes. In other words: This is the best I can find, but I don’t guarantee anything.
Internet Usage Statistics and Facts
How many people use the internet:
Last updated 12/7/17
Number of people who used the internet in 2000:
Percentage of world population that has access to the internet:
Last updated 12/7/17
Percentage of households that have internet access at home:
Last updated 12/31/15
Number of people who do not have access to the internet:
Last updated 5/26/15
Percentage of people in developed countries that have internet access:
Last updated 5/26/15
Percentage of people in developing countries that have internet access:
Last updated 5/26/15
Continent with highest internet penetration rate:
Last updated 12/31/14
Continent with lowest internet penetration rate:
Last updated 12/31/14
Nation with the lowest percentage of its population with internet access:
Myanmar (99.5% don’t have access)
Last updated 10/2/14
Number of internet users in China:
Last updated July 2017
Percentage of the internet that is hidden or dark:
Last updated 8/15/16
Number of internet users in the UK:
Last updated 9/13/17
Number of internet users in Southeast Asia:
Last updated 12/12/17