Share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa
South Africa: Share of people who used the internet in the previous three months was 75.66 % in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa, 2000–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa stood at 75.66 %. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 62.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa peaked at 75.66 % in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.35 %, in 2000.
That places South Africa 122nd out of 205 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.35 % | — |
| 2001 | 6.35 % | +18.7% |
| 2002 | 6.71 % | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 7.01 % | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 8.43 % | +20.3% |
| 2005 | 7.49 % | -11.2% |
| 2006 | 7.61 % | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 8.07 % | +6.0% |
| 2008 | 8.43 % | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 10 % | +18.6% |
| 2010 | 24 % | +140.0% |
| 2011 | 33.97 % | +41.5% |
| 2012 | 41 % | +20.7% |
| 2013 | 46.5 % | +13.4% |
| 2014 | 49 % | +5.4% |
| 2015 | 51.92 % | +6.0% |
| 2016 | 54 % | +4.0% |
| 2017 | 56.17 % | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 62.4 % | +11.1% |
| 2019 | 69.7 % | +11.7% |
| 2020 | 72.11 % | +3.5% |
| 2021 | 74.97 % | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 75.46 % | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 75.66 % | +0.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 75.66 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 81.36 %, 93% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 75.66 % is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35.03 %, 2.2× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | +140.0% | 10 % | 24 % |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.54 % | 5.35 % | 10 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.87 % | 24 % | 69.7 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.55 % | 72.11 % | 75.66 % | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More economy & growth data for South Africa
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.4836 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.01 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0094 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -61.95 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -2.16 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -192.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0051 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -33.37 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 16.18 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa?
- Share of people who used the internet in the previous three months in South Africa was 75.66 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest share of people who used the internet in the previous three months recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 75.66 % in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of people who used the internet in the previous three months recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.35 % in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for share of people who used the internet in the previous three months?
- South Africa ranks 122nd out of 205 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of people who used the internet in the previous three months rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Share of people who used the internet in the previous three months — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Suite of Gender Indicators presents a set of indicators relevant to agrifood systems that are disaggregated by sex, with the aim of highlighting gender differences across agrifood systems. The initial set of indicators is based on those used in FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAFS) report and on the recommendations of an expert consultation held in December 2023, and covers key dimensions including economic participation, governance, agency, social norms, assets and services, education, health, and nutrition. Indicator selection was informed by expert judgment and by the availability of data with sufficient geographic and temporal coverage to enable meaningful comparisons across regions and over time. While most indicators are produced and published by FAO and other international organizations, the objective of this domain is to provide a one-stop shop for sex-disaggregated data on agrifood systems.