Internet access has been rapidly increasing around the world, as have average speeds. According to a study by Cable, which measured internet speeds across 220 countries, data transfer rates have nearly doubled from 24.8 Mbps in 2020 to 46.8 in 2023.
Massive government investments in internet infrastructure coupled with innovation from the private sector has paid dividends for internet users. However, a closer look reveals just how much disparity in there can be from region to region.
Western Europe takes the lead with average speeds of 118.7 Mbps, putting North America’s 94 Mbps at a distant second. On the other end of the spectrum, residents of North and Sub-Saharan Africa would be lucky to hit the double digits, with record average speeds of 9.8 Mbps and 12.1 Mbps respectively. This reveals the widening gap between developed and developing regions, and the list of countries ranked by average speed sheds some more light on the disparity.
Jersey (with 264.52 Mbps) and Liechtenstein (with 246.76 Mbps) are both neck and neck for the top spot, with Macau sitting at third place 231.40 Mbps mean speed.
When it comes to globe's most sluggish network speeds Afghanistan leads the list with a mere 1.71Mbps, followed closely by Yemen at 1.79Mbps. Syria clocks in at 2.30Mbps, East Timor at 2.50Mbps, and Equatorial Guinea at 2.70Mbps.
This bottom five consists of two Asian regions, two from the Near East, and one from Sub-Saharan Africa. These nations share the common challenges of underdeveloped network infrastructure and limited adoption of digital services among their populations.
Take a look at the graphics below for more insights:
Read next: 94% of Gen Z Are in Favor of Location Tracking
Massive government investments in internet infrastructure coupled with innovation from the private sector has paid dividends for internet users. However, a closer look reveals just how much disparity in there can be from region to region.
Western Europe takes the lead with average speeds of 118.7 Mbps, putting North America’s 94 Mbps at a distant second. On the other end of the spectrum, residents of North and Sub-Saharan Africa would be lucky to hit the double digits, with record average speeds of 9.8 Mbps and 12.1 Mbps respectively. This reveals the widening gap between developed and developing regions, and the list of countries ranked by average speed sheds some more light on the disparity.
Jersey (with 264.52 Mbps) and Liechtenstein (with 246.76 Mbps) are both neck and neck for the top spot, with Macau sitting at third place 231.40 Mbps mean speed.
When it comes to globe's most sluggish network speeds Afghanistan leads the list with a mere 1.71Mbps, followed closely by Yemen at 1.79Mbps. Syria clocks in at 2.30Mbps, East Timor at 2.50Mbps, and Equatorial Guinea at 2.70Mbps.
This bottom five consists of two Asian regions, two from the Near East, and one from Sub-Saharan Africa. These nations share the common challenges of underdeveloped network infrastructure and limited adoption of digital services among their populations.
Take a look at the graphics below for more insights:
Read next: 94% of Gen Z Are in Favor of Location Tracking
