Number of people using the Internet in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Number of people using the Internet was 28.98 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Number of people using the Internet in Ethiopia, 1990–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people using the internet in Ethiopia is 28.98 million people, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is up 10.7% on the previous year and up 272.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people using the internet in Ethiopia peaked at 28.98 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1990.
Ethiopia ranks 36th of 208 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people using the Internet in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 people | — |
| 1995 | 10.07 people | — |
| 1996 | 1,011 people | +9940.2% |
| 1997 | 3,052 people | +201.9% |
| 1998 | 6,121 people | +100.6% |
| 1999 | 8,172 people | +33.5% |
| 2000 | 10,290 people | +25.9% |
| 2001 | 25,823 people | +151.0% |
| 2002 | 51,866 people | +100.8% |
| 2003 | 78,124 people | +50.6% |
| 2004 | 118,174 people | +51.3% |
| 2005 | 172,142 people | +45.7% |
| 2006 | 250,659 people | +45.6% |
| 2007 | 307,482 people | +22.7% |
| 2008 | 384,946 people | +25.2% |
| 2009 | 475,241 people | +23.5% |
| 2010 | 679,039 people | +42.9% |
| 2011 | 1.02 million people | +50.9% |
| 2012 | 2.78 million people | +171.1% |
| 2013 | 4.53 million people | +63.0% |
| 2014 | 7.79 million people | +71.9% |
| 2015 | 14.39 million people | +84.8% |
| 2016 | 16.40 million people | +14.0% |
| 2017 | 17.13 million people | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 17.90 million people | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 18.50 million people | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 19.11 million people | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 20.39 million people | +6.7% |
| 2022 | 22.55 million people | +10.6% |
| 2023 | 26.17 million people | +16.1% |
| 2024 | 28.98 million people | +10.7% |
Ethiopia compared with similar countries
- Ethiopia's 28.98 million people is above the median for low income countries, which is 4.48 million people, 6.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ethiopia's 28.98 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.88 million people, 7.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people using the Internet in Ethiopia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +9940.2% | 10.07 people | 1,011 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,061 people | 0 people | 8,172 people | 6 |
| 2000s | 187,475 people | 10,290 people | 475,241 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.11 million people | 679,039 people | 18.50 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.44 million people | 19.11 million people | 28.98 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More science & technology data for Ethiopia
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 65.08 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.6508 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 85.95 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 68.28 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate 8.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate 11.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 6,728 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0.0001 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people using the internet in Ethiopia?
- Number of people using the internet in Ethiopia was 28.98 million people in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi.
- What is the highest number of people using the internet recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 28.98 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of people using the internet recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1990.
- How does Ethiopia rank for number of people using the internet?
- Ethiopia ranks 36th out of 208 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of people using the internet rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 272.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi, published as part of Number of people using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people who used the Internet in the last three months.