Home Worldwide Internet Penetration is just 15%

Worldwide Internet Penetration is just 15%

According to the Miniwatts Marketing Group’s Internet
Usage and World Population Statistics
(last updated March 31, 2006),
worldwide Internet penetration is only 15.7%! So much for the World Wide
Web… this is indeed sobering stuff for those of us obsessed with ‘web 2.0’
technology. Here’s the main table of stats:

Source: World Internet Usage Statistics and Population Stats (nb: removed two columns to make it fit)

In North America, where
most Web innovations still come from, the penetration figure is 68.6%. However
in Africa it’s just 2.6%, Asia 9.9% and the Middle East 9.6%. Together Africa,
Asia and Middle East make up 73.4% of the world’s population. So that basically
means 3/4 of the world has extremely low Internet penetration. The one
positive note is that usage growth rates are encouraging (see column on the
right). 

Interesting to note that China, seen by most analysts as a big growth market
for Web technologies, has an Internet penetration of only 8.5%. Considering that great parts of China are rural, this isn’t overly surprising.
Also mobile technologies have a much bigger
impact
in China, than the PC. 

Still, these figures put things into perspective. I feel very lucky to live in a country
(New Zealand) that has 76.3% penetration – even if the broadband is slow and
expensive!

p.s. amazing how in these circumstances Pete
Cashmore
has managed to get 5 billion RSS subscribers 😉

About ReadWrite’s Editorial Process

The ReadWrite Editorial policy involves closely monitoring the tech industry for major developments, new product launches, AI breakthroughs, video game releases and other newsworthy events. Editors assign relevant stories to staff writers or freelance contributors with expertise in each particular topic area. Before publication, articles go through a rigorous round of editing for accuracy, clarity, and to ensure adherence to ReadWrite's style guidelines.

Get the biggest tech headlines of the day delivered to your inbox

    By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Unsubscribe anytime.

    Tech News

    Explore the latest in tech with our Tech News. We cut through the noise for concise, relevant updates, keeping you informed about the rapidly evolving tech landscape with curated content that separates signal from noise.

    In-Depth Tech Stories

    Explore tech impact in In-Depth Stories. Narrative data journalism offers comprehensive analyses, revealing stories behind data. Understand industry trends for a deeper perspective on tech's intricate relationships with society.

    Expert Reviews

    Empower decisions with Expert Reviews, merging industry expertise and insightful analysis. Delve into tech intricacies, get the best deals, and stay ahead with our trustworthy guide to navigating the ever-changing tech market.