Ookla Speedtest Global Index (2017-2024)

In this rapidly evolving digital world, the Internet has become an essential part of our lives, powering everything from work and education to healthcare, entertainment, and social interactions.

As we approach International Internet Day on October 29, this is an ideal moment to reflect on how this transformative technology has reshaped society and continues to be a driving force behind innovation, connectivity, and access to information.

From streamlining communication across continents to enabling real-time access to vast knowledge resources, the Internet is a cornerstone of modern life, impacting individuals and industries.

Under that premise, at DataHub we analyzed the evolution of countries in terms of their connection speed, based on data from almost 200 countries that Ookla has collected since 2017 with its Speedtest Global Index.

Of 183 countries, the Internet speed of 164 nations in 2024 is better than in 2017, some with remarkable upgrades. In other words, 90% improved their download velocity during that span.

The table below shows a snapshot of the countries' Internet speeds from 2017 to 2024, taken every August. Users can filter data by major areas (continents), regions (based on the United Nations definition of regions), and the mentioned speeds in Mbps since 2017.

Percentage change between the most recent and the oldest reported Mbps speed by country

According to the numbers, the country that has progressed the most is Venezuela. The South American outlet was the world's worst-ranked by September 2017 (3.42 Mbps). However, its Internet download speed has improved 1,648.8 %. In August 2024, Venezuela ranked 90th (61.95 Mbps), thanks to the recent investment from optical fiber private ISPs.

Apart from Venezuela, eight States (four from Latin America and the Caribbean) improved their download velocity by more than 1,000 percent: Egypt, neighbors Colombia, Kuwait, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Uzbekistan, United Arab Emirates, and Peru.

Nineteen countries have lower Internet speeds than in 2017 or 2018, the majority from Asia and Africa.

Percentage change of Internet speeds in August 2022 (YoY) by country

Why this specific approach?

According to data, arguably thanks to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. One hundred and forty-seven out of 179 countries (82.12%) decreased their download Internet speed in August 2022 compared to 2021.

It's remarkably evident when looking at each country's timeline.

The download Internet velocity progress of only 32 countries (fifteen from Latin America and the Caribbean, nine from Africa, and eight from Asia) was not interrupted.

Links

In the links below are the download speeds of the countries that belong to each of the 21 regions defined by the UN and other interesting insights:

• Australia and New Zealand

• Caribbean

• Central America

• Central Asia

• Eastern Africa

• Eastern Asia

• Eastern Europe

• Micronesia

• Middle Africa

• Melanesia

• Northern Africa

• Northern America

• Northern Europe

• South-Eastern Asia

• Southern Africa

• South America

• Southern Asia

• Southern Europe

• Western Asia

• Western Africa

• Western Europe

• Ookla Speedtest Global Index Insights