Christchurch – Almost 4.66 billion people were active internet users as of October 2020, encompassing 59 percent of the global population.
The mobile phone has now become the most important channel for internet access worldwide as mobile internet users account for 91 percent of total internet users, according to. Statista, a global provider of data.
The countries with the highest internet penetration rate worldwide are the UAE, China, India and the United States. China has more than 854 million internet users, and India has approximately 560 million online users. Both countries still have large parts of the population that are offline.
But while the digital population is visibly growing in many parts of the world, internet access and availability can differ significantly depending on the region.
While global internet access is increasing steadily, connection quality is superior in countries with developed infrastructures. As of 2020, Singapore has the fastest average fixed broadband internet speed worldwide, whereas South Korea has the fastest average mobile speed.
Mobile phone internet has become increasingly widespread and popular over the past few years, as smartphones are more readily available and affordable than ever. As internet users are gradually switching to mobile devices to browse the web on the go, mobile internet traffic now accounts for over 50 percent of total web traffic worldwide.
As the internet has become an indispensable tool for information, communication, and entertainment, the average daily time spent with the internet is increasing every year.
In 2019, users spent an estimated 170 minutes per day online, primarily via smartphone. Some of the most popular mobile internet activities include the use of instant messaging services, video streaming platforms and social media.
On average, internet users spend over 140 minutes per day on social media, with Facebook remaining the most used social media platform worldwide.
Over the past few decades, the internet has transformed the way products are bought and sold all over the world. As shoppers are increasingly making purchases online, global retail e-commerce sales have surpassed $US3.5 billion in 2019.
A growing number of online transactions are carried out via mobile devices, making m-commerce an ever-more profitable industry. But while digital literacy is expanding, so are the concerns about online privacy, fraud, and hacking, Statista says.
