Internet use and smartphone ownership has increased across sub-Saharan Africa, but mobile phone ownership holds steady.
Globally, internet use is much more common in wealthier countries. The percentage of people who are online in each country is highly correlated with countries’ gross domestic product per capita (PPP). Regionally, internet use is lowest in sub-Saharan Africa, where a median of 41% across six countries use the internet. South Africa (59%) is the only country in the region where at least half the population is online.
Still, the gap in internet use between emerging and advanced economies has narrowed. Whereas internet use in many of the world’s advanced economies has plateaued in recent years, use in sub-Saharan Africa has notably increased. In 2014, 15% of sub-Saharan Africans owned a smartphone, compared with 33% who own one today. The number of people connected to the internet is likely to continue to rise, too; industry projections suggest that the smartphone adoption rate in sub-Saharan Africa will double by 2025.
Internet use, smartphone  | ownership increase  | across sub-Saharan  | Africa, but mobile phone  | ownership holds steady  | Adults who  | 100%  | Own mobile  | 83%  | phone  | 80%  | Use the  | internet  | 29  | Own a  | 15  | smartphone  | 2014  | 2017  | Note: Percentages are six-country Ghana Kenya, medians  | based Percentages on total sample six-country in Ghana Kenya,  | Nigeria Senegal, South Africa and  | Nigeria Tanzania Senegal, Internet users include people  | who use the internet at least occasionally  | or who own smartphones.  | Source: Spring 2017 Global Attitudes  | Survey. Q63, Q64 & Q65  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 