The internet has become an essential part of modern life, with 68 per cent of the world’s population – about 5.5 billion people – now online, according to Statista. This growth highlights the rapid integration of digital technology into everyday life.
Our latest Chart of the Week illustrates how the number of internet users has grown significantly faster than the global population increase over the past two decades. Internet user numbers are increasing at an annual rate of 9.3 per cent – far outpacing global population growth of 1.15 per cent, the UN Population Division says.
About 236 million new users come online each year, driven by improved infrastructure, affordable smartphones and efforts to expand digital inclusion, according to Statista.
Who remains unconnected?
Despite the rapid growth, 32 per cent of the global population – around 2.6 billion people – remain offline, Statista reports. Many of those still unconnected live in Africa, where internet penetration has increased from 7.6 per cent in 2009 to 33 per cent in 2021, highlighting significant progress but still lagging behind other regions.
Top 10 countries with the least internet usage in 2024
According to data from online media monitoring company Meltwater, the countries with the highest percentage of offline populations this year are:
- North Korea: >99.9% offline (Blocked)
- Central African Republic: 89.4% offline (5.2 million unconnected individuals)
- Burundi: 88.7% offline (11.9 million unconnected individuals)
- South Sudan: 87.9% offline (9.8 million unconnected individuals)
- Niger: 83.1% offline (23.0 million unconnected individuals)
- Yemen: 82.3% offline (28.6 million unconnected individuals)
- Afghanistan: 81.6% offline (34.9 million unconnected individuals)
- Ethiopia: 80.6% offline (103.3 million unconnected individuals)
- Burkina Faso: 80.1% offline (18.9 million unconnected individuals)
- Madagascar: 79.4% offline (24.4 million unconnected individuals)
While North Korea remains almost entirely unconnected due to government restrictions, countries like the Central African Republic and Burundi face challenges stemming from limited infrastructure and economic constraints. Meanwhile, nations such as South Sudan and Yemen grapple with conflict and instability, further hindering connectivity. In comparison, countries like the US and UK have penetration rates exceeding 90 per cent, highlighting the stark global digital divide.
Top 10 countries by internet users in 2024
According to World Population Review, the top 10 countries by internet users this year are:
- China: 1.1 billion users
- India: 881.3 million users
- United States: 311.3 million users
- Indonesia: 215.6 million users
- Pakistan: 170 million users
- Brazil: 165.3 million users
- Nigeria: 136.2 million users
- Russia: 129.8 million users
- Bangladesh: 126.2 million users
- Japan: 117.4 million users
China and India have the largest number of internet users. While 79 per cent of China's population is online, penetration rates are lower in India, with 63 per cent of people there using the internet. By comparison, countries such as the US and UK have penetration rates exceeding 90 per cent.
The digital access gap
The internet has transformed communication, education, and commerce, reshaping how people engage with the world, from basic messaging to advanced AI applications.
However, significant disparities remain. While the Arabian Peninsula enjoys some of the world’s highest connectivity rates, Africa continues to face challenges as the least connected region.
Efforts to bridge this digital divide are critical. Infrastructure development and affordable technology will play a vital role in connecting the 2.6 billion people who remain offline, Statista reports. Achieving universal access to the internet remains a major challenge, but also holds the potential to unlock opportunities for a more connected and inclusive world.
Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
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What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
INVESTMENT PLEDGES
Cartlow: $13.4m
Rabbitmart: $14m
Smileneo: $5.8m
Soum: $4m
imVentures: $100m
Plug and Play: $25m
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
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Name: Peter Dicce
Title: Assistant dean of students and director of athletics
Favourite sport: soccer
Favourite team: Bayern Munich
Favourite player: Franz Beckenbauer
Favourite activity in Abu Dhabi: scuba diving in the Northern Emirates
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 760Nm
Price: Dh898,000
On sale: now
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Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
Pathaan
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
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