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Mobile internet usage worldwide - Statistics & Facts

Over half our time online is spent on mobile phones. Adding wireless connections to our portable devices has shaped the modern digital environment for both hardware and software, while helping digitalization in emerging markets. In mid-2023, it was estimated that almost 96 percent of the global digital population used a mobile device to connect to the internet.

Mobile usage trends worldwide

During the third quarter of 2023, global users spent almost 60 percent of their online time browsing the web from their mobile phones. The mobile revolution continues to transform internet usage behavior: according to a survey of global smartphone users, as of June 2023, the most popular app activities on mobile were chatting and communicating, as well as listening to music and online banking activities. Approximately 84 percent of respondents in Brazil and Spain, as well as 81 percent of respondents in the United Kingdom, reported using their mobiles to chat online, while over seven in 10 respondents based in South Korea reported watching videos on their mobile phones.

Mobile-first consumer markets

Today, mobile internet traffic accounts for almost 60 percent of total web traffic, while in mobile-first markets such as Asia and Africa, mobiles account for an even larger share of webpage views. Thanks to smartphones’ widespread commercial availability, developing global markets experienced access to the internet via mobile devices first. In the Asia-Pacific region, the growth of the mobile industries brought the number of mobile internet users to over one billion in China and approximately 700 million in India in 2023.

Mobile internet global growth

Despite being a fraction of the cost of a laptop or desktop computer, internet-powered mobiles can do almost as much as larger devices. Mobile broadband connections power our portable devices and fuel the digital economy, so much so that as of 2023, the entire digital world was connected via a mobile phones. Mobiles represented the first connection point for users in developing markets, increasing levels of digitalization around the world. Mobile devices will continue influencing consumption trends in the post-pandemic economy, with the advancements in 5G and 6G technologies driving internet growth.
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 Laura Ceci, Feb 2, 2024

Key insights

Active mobile internet users worldwide in 2023
6.47bn
Mobile internet traffic as share of total global online traffic
59.45%
Country with the fastest average mobile internet speed
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Overview

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Mobile activities

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Mobile commerce in the United States
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