Japan vs South Korea: Internet users
Internet users in 2024: 85.5% in Japan and 97.9% in South Korea, by ITU estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in South Korea, by 12.4 percentage points, or 1.14 times that in Japan.
JapanSouth Korea
Watch it change on the mapLatest figures
% of people · ITU
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 85.5 2024 | 89.1 | 77 of 182 |
| South Korea | 97.9 2024 | 87.6 | 13 of 182 |
| World | 73.6 2025 | 39.9 |
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Japan.
- In 2024, Japan ranked 77 and South Korea ranked 13 of 182 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 71.2% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · ITU
| Year | Japan | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 2024 | 85.5 | 97.9 | 71.2 |
| 2023 | 85 | 97.4 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | 84.9 | 97.2 | 67 |
| 2021 | 82.9 | 97.6 | 63.8 |
| 2020 | 90.2 | 96.5 | 60.1 |
| 2019 | 92.7 | 96.2 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 88.8 | 96 | 49.4 |
| 2017 | 91.7 | 95.1 | 46.3 |
| 2016 | 93.2 | 92.8 | 43.6 |
| 2015 | 91.1 | 89.9 | 39.9 |
| 2014 | 89.1 | 87.6 | 37.4 |
| 2013 | 88.2 | 84.8 | 35.3 |
| 2012 | 79.5 | 84.1 | 33.3 |
| 2011 | 79.1 | 83.8 | 30.9 |
| 2010 | 78.2 | 83.7 | 28.4 |
| 2009 | 78 | 81.6 | 25.3 |
| 2008 | 75.4 | 81 | 22.8 |
| 2007 | 74.3 | 78.8 | 20.2 |
| 2006 | 68.7 | 78.1 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | 66.9 | 73.5 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | 62.4 | 72.7 | – |
| 2003 | 48.4 | 65.5 | – |
| 2002 | 46.6 | 59.4 | – |
| 2001 | 38.5 | 56.6 | – |
| 2000 | 30 | 44.7 | – |
| 1999 | 21.4 | 23.6 | – |
| 1998 | 13.4 | 6.8 | – |
| 1997 | 9.2 | 3.6 | – |
| 1996 | 4.4 | 1.6 | – |
| 1995 | 1.6 | 0.8 | – |
| 1994 | 0.8 | 0.3 | – |
| 1993 | 0.4 | 0.3 | – |
| 1992 | 0.1 | 0.1 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | 0 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people who used the internet in the last three months, from anywhere.
- Source: ITU, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 182 countries with a value in 2024, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time