Try our business solution for free!

Internet usage in Russia - statistics & facts

Russia has the sixth-largest online population worldwide. With an increasing penetration rate, the Russian internet, also known as RuNet, plays a significant role in the country's society. In recent years, the population has become more connected, as the internet assisted Russians in their daily life, enabling them to pay the bills, order food or a taxi, and communicate via social media. The young generation is particularly tech-savvy, as Russian children get their own digital devices at an early age, using them to access social networks, video services, and games. During the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Russians learned new online skills while adapting to remote working arrangements or distance education and increased their use of digital services.

How do Russians access the internet?

Eight out of ten Russian households connected to the internet via smartphones, mobile phones, electronic books, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). The country was forecast to have nearly 125 million mobile internet users in 2028. The 5G infrastructure is still under development, challenged by high costs and policy complications, as higher frequencies are occupied by national security authorities. The number of mobile broadband subscriptions was projected at over 152 million in 2023, which was over four times higher than the fixed broadband connections count.

What are the major internet companies in Russia?

A major characteristic of the Russian internet is a wide availability of the country's own online resources. The leading internet corporations are Yandex and Mail.ru Group. Both companies provide a variety of services, such as a search engine, food delivery, mobility apps, maps, or news aggregators. Furthermore, they expanded their businesses with Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, such as smart home devices and virtual assistants. When it comes to social media, the user count of domestic platforms like VK, or Vkontakte, Telegram, the ban on which was lifted in June 2020, and Ok.ru, or Odnoklassniki, was among the highest in the country. In the e-commerce segment, the largest online retailer was Wildberries.

Russia's sovereign internet

Freedom House ranked Russia's internet freedom at 23 out of 100 points in 2022, as the internet use is limited by state-led interventions, such as information bans and site blockings. The government is pursuing the 'sovereign internet' policy, amending the national legislation to ensure a centralized management of the RuNet by the state. In 2020, free access was enabled to domestic online resources that were considered socially essential. Starting from April 2021, smartphones, computers, and smart TV devices sold in the country had to have Russian software pre-installed on them. At the end of 2021, the government demanded several foreign tech companies, such as Google, Meta, Apple, TikTok, and Twitter, to open a subsidiary in Russia to comply with the country's regulations.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Statista Research Department, Jan 11, 2023

Key insights

Internet user penetration
83.42%
Forecast number of internet users
114.78m
Average internet connection speed
16.05 Mbit/s
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Distribution of search engine traffic in Russia from 3rd quarter 2019 to 4th quarter 2022, by company

Online Search

Most popular search engines in Russia 2019-2022, by visits share

Leading online resources on desktop and mobile devices in Russia in August 2022, by average daily reach (in millions)

Reach & Traffic

Most popular online resources in Russia 2022, by reach

Average daily internet reach in Russia from May to July 2021, by device (in millions)

Use

Daily internet reach in Russia 2021, by device

Related topics

Recommended

4

Recommended statistics

Overview

5

Overview

User demographics & reach

5

User demographics & reach

Search & traffic

5

Search & traffic

Broadband internet

6

Broadband internet

Mobile internet

6

Mobile internet

Online activities

5

Online activities

Consumer behavior

5

Consumer behavior

Reports & StudiesGet the best reports to understand your industry

Contact

Get in touch with us. We are happy to help.
Statista Locations
Contact Vayola Jocelyn
Vayola Jocelyn
Client Support Specialist– Contact (United States)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Contact Yolanda Mega
Yolanda Mega
Operations Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
asia.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm (SGT)

Contact Kisara Mizuno
Kisara Mizuno
Senior Business Development Manager– Contact (Asia)
Email
support.japan@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 10:00am - 6:00pm (JST)

Contact Lodovica Biagi
Lodovica Biagi
Director of Operations– Contact (Europe)
Email
eu.support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9:30am - 5pm (GMT)

Contact Carolina Dulin
Carolina Dulin
Associate Director - LAC– Contact (Latin America)
Email
support@statista.com

Mon - Fri, 9am - 6pm (EST)

Menu