54.3% of Nigeria's population — about 128.3 million people — are still unconnected, placing the country fourth in the world

Key takeaways:

  • India tops the list with 651.6 million people offline — almost five times Nigeria’s number, but a smaller percentage (44.7%) of its population.
  • China has 311.9 million unconnected people, but that’s only 22% of its population.
  • With 78.7% of its population offline (105.2M people), Ethiopia has the lowest internet penetration among the top countries listed.
  • Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Pakistan all have over 50% of their populations unconnected.
  • Despite their smaller populations, over 70% of people in both Tanzania and Uganda remain offline.
  • While Nigeria is a regional tech hub, it still has over 128 million people offline, pointing to a major disconnect between urban tech growth and rural internet access.

Despite being Africa's largest economy, Nigeria has 128.3 million people unconnected to the internet as of January 2025 — over 54% of the population. This ranks Nigeria 4th globally among countries with the highest number of unconnected individuals. The digital gap is no longer a future concern; it’s a present reality that affects how millions access education, health, jobs, and basic information.

Source:

Digital 2025 Global Overview Report

Period:

2025
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