Countries with the most people lacking internet connection 2023

As of October 2023, India was the country with the largest offline population worldwide. The South Asian country had over 672 million people without internet connection. China ranked second, with around 347 million people not connected to the internet. Despite these large shares of the disconnected population in these countries, China and India ranked first and second, respectively, as countries with the highest number of internet users worldwide.

Internet access in Africa

In 2022, Africa lagged behind other global regions regarding internet penetration rate, as only 40 percent of the continent’s population accessed the web. In contrast, around 89 percent of Europe’s population were internet users. This is heavily influenced by the infrastructure development in the region. However, some improvements are forecasted, as by 2028, the internet penetration rate in Africa will be at an estimated 48.15 percent.

Global internet access challenges: disruptions and restrictions

Government internet shutdowns around the world are another challenge for internet access. Between 2015 and the first half of 2023, 172 local internet connection disruptions occurred due to protests globally. Moreover, according to a 2022 report on internet freedom, almost four out of ten global internet users were deprived of essential freedoms on online platforms. In 2022, 78 new restrictions on internet usage were implemented worldwide. Asia led in imposing these restrictions, accounting for approximately 58 cases across various countries in the region.