Published on 02/11/2024
The surge in smartphone purchase has led to an increase in the volume of data used globally. However, the cost of mobile data varies greatly across regions, with substantial disparities in the price of 1 Gigabyte (GB) of data.
The global digital landscape has reached a significant milestone, with over two-thirds of the world’s population now online.
In today’s digital era, data has become an essential component of our daily lives, revolutionizing the way we connect, communicate, and access information.
With just a click, we can access a vast array of information, witness events unfolding in different parts of the world, and become part of a vibrant virtual community. This exemplifies the profound impact data has on our lives, transforming the way we live, work, and interact with one another.
A staggering 5.35 billion people, representing 66% of the global population, are internet users. Meanwhile, mobile phone adoption has also surged, with a record 5.6 billion mobile phone users as of 2024, accounting for an impressive 69.4% of the world’s population.
According to Statista, the average data used per smartphone per month worldwide amounted to 15 gigabytes (GB) in 2022. This figure is projected to increase almost four times reaching 46 GB per smartphone per month globally in 2028.
This significant growth will be fueled by evolving consumer habits, particularly the escalating demand for mobile video streaming and the increasing use of data-hungry artificial intelligence apps.
Africa has witnessed a remarkable surge in internet usage, with the number of online users soaring from 181 million in 2014 to approximately 646 million today.
Notably, Nigeria and Egypt, the continent’s two most populous countries, account for nearly a third of these internet users.
According to the ITU, – The average cost of 1GB of data decreased from $12.44 in 2010 to $1.57 in 2020 indicating a reduction in data prices following an increased adoption of internet across the globe.
The data by The Visual Capitalists shows the average price of 1 gigabyte (GB) of mobile data (in USD) as of January 2024 across Six African countries.
| S/N | Country | Average Price for 1GB (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Africa | $1.77 |
| 2 | Egypt | $0.66 |
| 3 | Morocco | $0.63 |
| 4 | Kenya | $0.59 |
| 5 | Ghana | $0.40 |
| 6 | Nigeria | $0.38 |
South Africa led the ranking with the cost of 1GB data pegged at $1.77. Nigeria recorded the lowest cost of data at $0.38.
Looking ahead, the continent is poised for even greater growth, with projections indicating that the number of internet users will swell to over 1.1 billion by 2029, representing a staggering increase of nearly 70%.
it is expected that the cost of data will decrease, making internet access more affordable and accessible to millions more people across the continent.
