Share of mobile internet traffic in global regions 2021

In August 2021, mobile devices excluding tablets accounted for nearly 57 percent of web page views worldwide. Meanwhile, over 69 percent of webpage views in Africa were generated via mobile. In contrast, the majority of web traffic in North America still took place via desktop connections with mobile only accounting for 48.49 percent of total web traffic. While regional infrastructure remains an important factor in broadband vs. mobile coverage, most of the world has had their eyes on the recent 5G rollout across the globe, spearheaded by tech-leaders China and the United States. The number of mobile 5G subscriptions worldwide is forecast to reach 3 billion by 2025.

Social media: room for growth in Africa and southern Asia

Overall, 96 percent of the world’s mobile internet subscribers are also active on social media. A fast-growing market, with newcomers such as TikTok taking the world by storm, marketers have been cashing in on social media’s reach. Overall, social media penetration is highest in Europe and America while in Africa and southern Asia, there is still room for growth. As of 2021, Facebook and Google-owned YouTube are the most popular social media platforms worldwide.

Facebook and Instagram are most effective

With nearly 3 billion users, it is no wonder that Facebook remains the social media avenue of choice for the majority of marketers across the world. Instagram, meanwhile, was the second most popular outlet. Both platforms are low-cost and support short-form content, known for its universal consumer appeal.