South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Internet users

Internet users in 2024: 78.4% in South Africa and 100% in United Arab Emirates, by ITU estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 21.6 percentage points, or 1.28 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of people · ITU

South AfricaUnited Arab EmiratesWorld

What the numbers say

United Arab Emirates has been higher since 1997, when it overtook South Africa.
The world as a whole: 71.2% in 2024.

Every year

% of people · ITU

Year	South Africa	United Arab Emirates	World
2025	–	–	73.6
2024	78.4	100	71.2
2023	78.3	100	69.2
2022	78.3	100	67
2021	75	100	63.8
2020	72.1	100	60.1
2019	69.7	99.2	53.9
2018	62.4	98.5	49.4
2017	56.2	94.8	46.3
2016	54	90.6	43.6
2015	51.9	90.5	39.9
2014	49	90.4	37.4
2013	46.5	88	35.3
2012	41	85	33.3
2011	34	78	30.9
2010	24	68	28.4
2009	10	64	25.3
2008	8.4	63	22.8
2007	8.1	61	20.2
2006	7.6	52	17.2
2005	7.5	40	15.6
2004	8.4	30.1	–
2003	7	29.5	–
2002	6.7	28.3	–
2001	6.3	26.3	–
2000	5.3	23.6	–
1999	4.1	14.9	–
1998	2.9	6.9	–
1997	1.6	3.3	–
1996	0.8	0.4	–
1995	0.7	0.1	–
1994	0.2	–	–
1993	0.1	–	–
1992	0	–	–
1991	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

South Africa vs United Arab Emirates

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United Arab Emirates: 3 deaths in 2022