Research performed by Atlas VPN, a freemium VPN service, found that the virtual world population has around 5.18 billion internet users globally as it stands this year, which accounts for around 64.1% of the world’s total population.
This number just goes to show much much reliance on the internet for people’s livelihoods, careers, and social lives, as well as the expanding accessibility to digital and electronic resources has grown.
This number, as estimated by the Atlas VPN team using historical data provided by DataReportal is predicted to go up by nearly a fifth, or 19%, which amounts 6.13 billion users by 2028.
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Global Internet Landscape: Usage, Penetration, and Regional Diversity
Northern Europe has the highest internet usage, with countries such as Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates reporting an estimated 99% user rate as estimated by the Atlas VPN team using historical data provided by DataReportal.
Reports also show more ‘developed’ countries generally have over 80% user rates, and the top 20 countries alone have a reported 3.67 billion internet users, which is 71% of the total. Developing countries, on the other hand, generally tend to report rates of under 50%.
China, India, and the US are the top three countries with the most internet users, with Asia is currently the continent with the most users, reporting over 2.93 billion people accessing the internet. Europe is not far behind, about 750 million.
To further break it down, China has the most users with 1.05 billion, or roughly 73.7% of its total population. India comes in second on the list with 692 million users, or 48.7%, followed by the United States with 311 point three million users, or 91.8%.
Other countries also on the top 10 are Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, Nigeria, Japan, Mexico, and the Philippines.
A Closer Look at User Diversity and Global Leaders in Demographics and Usage Patterns
There is a gender difference in internet usage across many different countries. In general, men make up a significantly higher percentage of internet users than women, with this disparity growing more obvious in places like the Arab States and Africa.
A lower difference can be seen in Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States and younger users are especially active, particularly in regions like Europe where the usage rate among those aged 15 to 24 reaches 98%.
The cyber security risks increase with the amount of users joining the virtual world daily. Most Americans say cyberterrorism is the biggest threat to the US, according to a Gallup poll on world affairs.
The effects of internet usage going up go beyond just numbers; they are quite literally shifting our ways of life.
Many believe that the internet’s growing population comes the possibility of a global community where many can connect, and others see this revolutionary era as a threat to human connection. Either way, we need to ensure ethical and safe use of our new powerful home.
