GSMA: Africa records world’s lowest mobile Internet use

Sub-Saharan Africa remains the world’s least connected region, with just a quarter of its population using mobile Internet, according to the latest GSMA report. The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025 revealed that the region also has the largest coverage gap globally, at 10 per cent.

While more than three-quarters of people in North America, Europe, and East Asia are online through their mobile devices, Africa continues to struggle with low access, widening inequality, and a growing digital divide. Nigeria ranked among the top 20 countries with the largest number of people offline, with 130 million citizens still unconnected.

India tops the list with a staggering 690 million people unable to access the Internet, followed by China with 240 million and Pakistan with 130 million. Other countries with high numbers of unconnected citizens include Ethiopia, Indonesia, Egypt, Congo, the United States, and Brazil.

The report found that connectivity remains far lower in least developed countries (LDCs), landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), and small island developing states (SIDS), where only a quarter to a third of the population use mobile Internet. None of these regions have recorded progress since 2021.

GSMA also flagged persistent inequalities within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). People in rural areas are still 25 per cent less likely to use mobile Internet than urban dwellers, while women remain 14 per cent less likely than men to connect. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the gender gap stands at 29 per cent, among the widest globally.

Despite these challenges, mobile Internet use continues to grow globally. By the end of 2024, 4.4 billion people were using smartphones to access the Internet, with most on 4G or 5G networks. However, in Africa, six in ten users still rely on 3G devices or basic feature phones, further limiting access to the digital economy.