Revealed: Top 10 nations with the highest number of people offline

The United Arab Emirates ranks among top 20 countries with highest penetration of internet users in the world, according to World Bank statistics.

Dubbed the ‘internet economy’ of Middle East, the UAE ranked 17 in the world with internet penetration in the country standing at around 90.4 per cent. The country also has the highest mobile smartphone penetration rate in the region.

Globally as well, the number of internet users has more than tripled in a decade—from one billion in 2005 to an estimated 3.2 billion at the end of 2015.

The report also found that more households in developing countries own a mobile phone than have access to electricity or clean water.

However, nearly 60 per cent of the world’s population – around four billion people – still do not have any internet access and can’t fully participate in the digital economy.

Nearly two billion do not use a mobile phone and almost half a billion live outside areas with a mobile signal, the report added.

The number of people offline was found to be highest in the Asian and African regions.

Top 10 countries with the highest number of people offline

1. India

Offline population: 1.06 billion

Internet penetration rate: 34.8%

2. China

Offline population: 755 million

Internet penetration rate: 52.2%

3. Indonesia

Offline population: 213 million

Internet penetration rate: 20.4%

4. Pakistan

Offline population: 165 million

Internet penetration rate: 17.8%

5. Bangladesh

Offline population: 148 million

Internet penetration rate: 13.2%

6. Nigeria

Offline population: 111 million

Internet penetration rate: 46.1%

7. Brazil

Offline population: 98 million

Internet penetration rate: 66.4%

8. Ethiopia

Offline population: 95 million

Internet penetration rate: 4.2%

9. Mexico

Offline population: 70 million

Internet penetration rate: 45.1%

10. Congo

Offline population: 68 million

Internet Penetration Level: 3.9%