Surge in Internet Usage: 5.44 Billion Users Worldwide in April 2024, With Gender and Income Gaps Remaining

In April 2024, the internet connected over 5.44 billion users worldwide, which represented 67.1% of the global population. Out of this number, more than 5.07 billion people or 62.6% of the world’s population were social media users.

The internet has revolutionized communication and has become a critical component of our modern society. Northern Europe led the way in terms of internet usage in 2023, with countries like Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates boasting near-perfect internet penetration rates of 99%. Conversely, North Korea had very low internet usage rates, with less than half its population using the internet.

Asia had the highest number of online users globally, with over 2.93 billion individuals accessing the internet. Europe followed closely behind with around 750 million users online. Countries like China, India, and the United States had some of the highest numbers of internet users globally.

When it comes to demographics, as of 2022, approximately two-thirds (63%) of all internet users worldwide were female slightly less than male users’ percentage. The gender gap was more pronounced in regions like Arab States and Africa where there was a ten percent difference between men and women’s internet usage rates. The age group that had the highest rate of internet usage was young people aged between 15-24 across all regions globally; however, European young people had an even higher penetration rate at an impressive 98%.

Moreover, income levels played a significant role in determining who could access the internet. High-income countries generally had much higher rates of internet usage compared to low-income markets; for example, in high-income countries like Switzerland and Luxembourg almost everyone used the Internet while in low-income countries like Pakistan and Afghanistan only about a third did so.

In conclusion, while millions across