Internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Internet users was 109.97 million in 2011. ◆ Volatile
Internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2011
Source: International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa is 109.97 million, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 31.0% on the previous year and up 2,415.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 109.97 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1990.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 | — |
| 1996 | 385,191 | — |
| 1997 | 791,804 | +105.6% |
| 1998 | 1.48 million | +86.5% |
| 1999 | 2.33 million | +57.6% |
| 2000 | 3.33 million | +42.9% |
| 2001 | 4.37 million | +31.4% |
| 2002 | 6.16 million | +40.9% |
| 2003 | 8.51 million | +38.2% |
| 2004 | 11.61 million | +36.4% |
| 2005 | 17.28 million | +48.9% |
| 2006 | 27.03 million | +56.4% |
| 2007 | 32.84 million | +21.5% |
| 2008 | 48.45 million | +47.5% |
| 2009 | 60.70 million | +25.3% |
| 2010 | 83.95 million | +38.3% |
| 2011 | 109.97 million | +31.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 996,279 | 0 | 2.33 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 22.03 million | 3.33 million | 60.70 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.96 million | 83.95 million | 109.97 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More science & technology data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Scientific and technical journal articles 48,022 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per square kilometre 0.002 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Digital connectivity composite index -1.24 standard deviations from the yearly mean (2025)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, annual growth rate -0.2159 % change on previous year (2023)
- Patent applications, nonresidents 8,160 (2020)
- Patent applications, residents 1,834 (2020)
- Proportion of individuals using the Internet 35.7% (2025)
- Proportion of population covered by at least a 2G mobile network 94.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Internet users in Sub-Saharan Africa was 109.97 million in 2011, according to International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database.
- What is the highest internet users recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 109.97 million in 2011.
- What is the lowest internet users recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1990.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for internet users?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is internet users rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,415.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Telecommunication Union, World Telecommunication/ICT Development Report and database, published as part of Internet users. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Internet users are people with access to the worldwide network.