Ookla Speedtest Global Index insights

The Asian and European countries recorded the best mobile and fixed broadband median internet speeds in August 2024

DISCLAIMER: This report is intended just for exploring the DataHub platform functionalities, not for any commercial use. All the data used in this note is property of Ookla, LLC.

In today’s fast-paced, digitally connected world, a reliable and fast internet connection is no longer a luxury but a necessity.

From remote work and online learning to streaming entertainment and staying in touch with loved ones, the internet plays a central role in almost every aspect of daily life.

The Ookla Speedtest Global Index is a valuable tool for understanding global internet performance, offering insights into which countries are leading in broadband and mobile internet speeds.

This data highlights the importance of infrastructure investment and provides a benchmark for individuals and businesses seeking faster, more reliable connectivity.

Whether improving productivity, enhancing entertainment experiences, or ensuring seamless communication, having access to high-speed internet is crucial for navigating the demands of modern life. The Ookla index helps track global progress, informing users and enabling better decisions for optimizing digital experiences.

At DataHub, we have taken the latest available data (August 2024) on fixed broadband and mobile average speeds by country and “regionalized” the numbers based on the United Nations definition of regions (1, 2) to obtain information by areas and regions into those areas.

Fixed broadband: United Arab Emirates and Singapore set the tone

The Global Index recorded a global performance of 93.99 megabits per second (Mbps) -download- and 48.36 Mbps -upload- for fixed broadband connections in August.

Three Asian territories recorded the highest median speed of 161 countries all over the world: the United Arab Emirates (297.62), Singapore (297.57), and Hong Kong (special administrative region of China).

Chile, the United States of America, Thailand, France, Denmark, Iceland, and Israel completed the top ten.

Below is the full list of median fixed broadband speeds by country:

The bar chart below shows the countries ordered by speed:

Around 17.4% of the countries registered a fixed broadband speed less than 20 Mbps, while seven out of 10 (70.8%) averaged an internet speed below 100 Mbps.

Thirty-four nations (21.1%) recorded speeds between 100 and 200 Mbps, mostly in Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean.

The countries from the following major areas averaged the highest internet speed:

Africa: Egypt (76.48 Mbps).
Asia: United Arab Emirates (297.62 Mbps).
Europe: France (223.72 Mbps).
Latin America and the Caribbean: Chile (265.62 Mbps).
Northern America: United States (242.27 Mbps).
Oceania: New Zealand (178.8 Mbps).

In contrast, these were the nations per major area with the lowest internet speed:

Africa: Botswana (8.53 Mbps).
Asia: Turkmenistan (3.63 Mbps).
Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina (30.74 Mbps).
Latin America and the Caribbean: Suriname (12.09 Mbps).
Northern America: Canada (188.2 Mbps).
Oceania: Fiji (26.36 Mbps).

By UN regions, these were the countries with the highest fixed broadband internet speed in August:

Australia and New Zealand: New Zealand (178.80 Mbps).
Caribbean: Trinidad and Tobago (119.78 Mbps).
Central America: Panama (151.94 Mbps).
Central Asia: Uzbekistan (69.37 Mbps).
Eastern Africa: Mauritius (51.61 Mbps).
Eastern Asia: Hong Kong (SAR) (280.00 Mbps).
Eastern Europe: Romania (200.94 Mbps).
Melanesia: Fiji (26.36 Mbps).
Middle Africa: Gabon (41.42 Mbps).
Northern Africa: Egypt (76.48 Mbps).
Northern America: United States (242.27 Mbps).
Northern Europe: Denmark (219.23 Mbps).
South America: Chile (265.62 Mbps).
South-Eastern Asia: Singapore (297.57 Mbps).
Southern Africa: South Africa (47.35 Mbps).
Southern Asia: Nepal (71.62 Mbps).
Southern Europe: Spain (205.17 Mbps).
Western Africa: Côte d'Ivoire (62.04 Mbps).
Western Asia: United Arab Emirates (297.62 Mbps).
Western Europe: France (223.72 Mbps).

And the States that registered the lowest fixed broadband speed by region were:

Australia and New Zealand: Australia (71.87 Mbps).
Caribbean: Dominican Republic (36.1 Mbps).
Central America: Belize (44.74 Mbps).
Central Asia: Turkmenistan (3.53 Mbps).
Eastern Africa: Ethiopia (9.48 Mbps).
Eastern Asia: Mongolia (71.45 Mbps).
Eastern Europe: Belarus (61.05 Mbps).
Melanesia: Fiji (26.36 Mbps).
Middle Africa: Cameroon (9.94 Mbps).
Northern Africa: Tunisia (10.58 Mbps).
Northern America: Canada (188.2 Mbps).
Northern Europe: Estonia (80.14 Mbps).
South America: Suriname (12.09 Mbps).
South-Eastern Asia: Myanmar (Burma) (21.56 Mbps).
Southern Africa: Botswana (8.53 Mbps).
Southern Asia: Afghanistan (3.63 Mbps).
Southern Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina (30.74 Mbps).
Western Africa: Liberia (8.9 Mbps).
Western Asia: Syria (3.65 Mbps).
Western Europe: Germany (90.63 Mbps).

The Vega chart below compares the maximum and minimum fixed broadband speed recorded in the six zones. Not pretty much in North America, but what about Asia?

Mobile: two countries over 300 megabits per second

The mobile median performances of 111 countries in the five continents were 55.8 Mbps -download- and 11.02 Mbps -upload-. However, some performed better when compared with fixed broadband.

The United Arab Emirates also had the fastest mobile connection with a staggering speed of 398.51 Mbps, according to the Ookla Speedtest Global Index. The UAB mobile internet was even greater than their broadband.

Qatar (344.34) was second on the 111-territories list, and Kuwait (239.83 Mbps) was third-ranked.

The three Western-Asian outlets were the only ones with a mobile speed of over 200 Mbps.

Two other Asian countries (South Korea and Saudi Arabia) and five European nations (Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Bulgaria, and Luxembourg) made the top ten.

Singapore was in eleventh place. Despite having a fixed broadband internet speed of 297.57 Mbps, the city-state mobile performance was just 114.3 Mbps.

The complete list is below:

The following chart shows the nations ordered by mobile speed:

Three out of 10 countries (30.6%) were located in the 20-40 Mbps range when it comes to mobile speed. Among them were Guatemala, Iran, Lebanon, Argentina, Mexico, Indonesia, Egypt, Russia, Nigeria, and Ukraine, to cite a few.

Almost two-thirds (64%) of the territories listed recorded a speed under 60 Mbps, according to the Global Index. A sign that maybe the mobile internet is not as developed as the fixed broadband in most countries.

Grouped by the UN's major areas, the countries with the fastest mobile internet were:

Africa: South Africa (51,96 Mbps).
Asia: United Arab Emirates (398,51 Mbps).
Europe: Netherlands (133,44 Mbps).
Latin America and the Caribbean: Brazil (73,08 Mbps).
Northern America: United States (103,73 Mbps).
Oceania: Australia (97,86 Mbps).

The countries with the slowest mobile internet by geographical area were:

Africa: Libya (15,1 Mbps).
Asia: Yemen (7,91 Mbps).
Europe: Belarus (11,98 Mbps).
Latin America and the Caribbean: Bolivia (11,26 Mbps).
Northern America: Canada (74,87 Mbps).
Oceania: New Zealand (78,46 Mbps).

As seen above, mobile speed in the areas was similar, except in North America and Oceania.

These countries held the fastest mobile internet in their regions:

Australia and New Zealand: Australia (97,86 Mbps).
Caribbean: Dominican Republic (32,99 Mbps).
Central America: Guatemala (39,73 Mbps).
Central Asia: Kazakhstan (51,25 Mbps).
Eastern Africa: Kenya (29,49 Mbps).
Eastern Asia: South Korea (141,23 Mbps).
Eastern Europe: Bulgaria (117,64 Mbps).
Northern Africa: Morocco (40,89 Mbps).
Northern America: United States (103,73 Mbps).
Northern Europe: Denmark (130,05 Mbps).
South America: Brazil (73,08 Mbps).
South-Eastern Asia: Singapore (114,30 Mbps).
Southern Africa: South Africa (51,96 Mbps).
Southern Asia: India (96,38 Mbps).
Southern Europe: North Macedonia (94,33 Mbps).
Western Africa: Nigeria (20,19 Mbps).
Western Asia: United Arab Emirates (398,51 Mbps).
Western Europe: Netherlands (133,44 Mbps).

And these States had the slowest mobile speed in their regions:

Australia and New Zealand: New Zealand (78,46 Mbps).
Caribbean: Dominican Republic (32,99 Mbps).
Central America: Nicaragua (21,49 Mbps).
Central Asia: Uzbekistan (36,19 Mbps).
Eastern Africa: Tanzania (22,85 Mbps).
Eastern Asia: Japan (47,43 Mbps).
Eastern Europe: Belarus (11,98 Mbps).
Northern Africa: Libya (15,1 Mbps).
Northern America: Canada (74,87 Mbps).
Northern Europe: Ireland (41,12 Mbps).
South America: Bolivia (11,26 Mbps).
South-Eastern Asia: Cambodia (28,7 Mbps).
Southern Africa: Namibia (27,94 Mbps).
Southern Asia: Afghanistan (8,48 Mbps).
Southern Europe: Bosnia and Herzegovina (20,56 Mbps).
Western Africa: Nigeria (20,19 Mbps).
Western Asia: Yemen (7,91 Mbps).
Western Europe: Germany (56,69 Mbps).

The following Vega chart compares the highest and lowest Mbps speeds in the six areas. Unlike Oceania and North America, the velocity difference in the zones is huge, especially in Asia.

Fastest speed between fixed broadband and mobile in selected countries

The DataHub team compared the countries where Ookla registered both fixed broadband and mobile speeds to find out which one was faster. The results are in the table below:

Data source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index