Half of the world is now connected to the internet

Rob Clapp

An overview of internet penetration by region between 2005 and 2018.

Half of the world's population is now connected to the internet, according to the latest data from the International Telecommunication Union. Global internet penetration in 2018 is estimated at 51.2%, after growing 2.6 percentage points (pp) year-on-year and 25.7pp over the last decade.

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, covering former Soviet Union states, has recorded the greatest growth over the last ten years, with penetration rising 47.0pp to 71.3% of individuals. Rapid growth is also visible in the Arab States region (+33.3pp to 54.7%) and Asia Pacific (+28.1pp to 47.0%). The Americas (+23.5pp to 69.6%), Europe (+19.8pp to...

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