South Africa vs Sweden: Internet users
Internet users: 78.4% in South Africa in 2024 and 95.8% in Sweden in 2025, by ITU estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Sweden, by 17.2 percentage points, or 1.22 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaSweden
Watch it change on the mapLatest figures
% of people · ITU
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 78.4 2024 | 49 | 102 of 182 |
| Sweden | 95.8 2025 | 90.6 | 25 of 182 |
| World | 73.6 2025 | 39.9 |
What the numbers say
- Sweden has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1990.
- In 2024, South Africa ranked 102 and Sweden ranked 25 of 182 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 71.2% in 2024.
Every year
% of people · ITU
| Year | South Africa | Sweden | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 95.8 | 73.6 |
| 2024 | 78.4 | 95.5 | 71.2 |
| 2023 | 78.3 | 95.7 | 69.2 |
| 2022 | 78.3 | 95 | 67 |
| 2021 | 75 | 94.7 | 63.8 |
| 2020 | 72.1 | 94.5 | 60.1 |
| 2019 | 69.7 | 94.5 | 53.9 |
| 2018 | 62.4 | 89.3 | 49.4 |
| 2017 | 56.2 | 93 | 46.3 |
| 2016 | 54 | 89.7 | 43.6 |
| 2015 | 51.9 | 90.6 | 39.9 |
| 2014 | 49 | 92.5 | 37.4 |
| 2013 | 46.5 | 94.8 | 35.3 |
| 2012 | 41 | 93.2 | 33.3 |
| 2011 | 34 | 92.8 | 30.9 |
| 2010 | 24 | 90 | 28.4 |
| 2009 | 10 | 91 | 25.3 |
| 2008 | 8.4 | 90 | 22.8 |
| 2007 | 8.1 | 82 | 20.2 |
| 2006 | 7.6 | 87.8 | 17.2 |
| 2005 | 7.5 | 84.8 | 15.6 |
| 2004 | 8.4 | 83.9 | – |
| 2003 | 7 | 79.1 | – |
| 2002 | 6.7 | 70.6 | – |
| 2001 | 6.3 | 51.8 | – |
| 2000 | 5.3 | 45.7 | – |
| 1999 | 4.1 | 41.4 | – |
| 1998 | 2.9 | 33.5 | – |
| 1997 | 1.6 | 23.7 | – |
| 1996 | 0.8 | 9 | – |
| 1995 | 0.7 | 5.1 | – |
| 1994 | 0.2 | 3.4 | – |
| 1993 | 0.1 | 1.7 | – |
| 1992 | 0 | 1.5 | – |
| 1991 | 0 | 1.2 | – |
| 1990 | 0 | 0.6 | – |
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