Bangladesh Ranks 15th Globally in Internet Usage Despite Higher Official Figures
Bangladesh has secured the 15th position globally in terms of the number of internet users relative to its population, according to the latest report titled "Internet and Social Media Users in the World" published by the global research firm Statista.
The report indicates that Bangladesh has approximately 77.7 million internet users. However, this figure is nearly half of the number reported by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC), which states that the country currently has around 130.82 million internet subscribers. Additionally, the number of mobile subscribers stands at approximately 186.22 million. Based on these official figures, Bangladesh should rank around seventh globally in terms of internet users.
The report surveyed internet usage in 25 countries including India, China, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Russia, Pakistan, Mexico, Japan, Nigeria, the Philippines, Egypt, Vietnam, Germany, Bangladesh, Turkey, Iran, the United Kingdom, Thailand, France, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, and Argentina.
According to the Statista report, released in February 2025, China leads the world with approximately 1.11 billion internet users. India follows with 806 million users, while the United States ranks third with around 322 million users. Indonesia is in fourth place with approximately 212 million users, followed by Brazil with 183.8 million.
Russia holds the sixth position with about 133 million internet users, while Pakistan is seventh with approximately 116 million. Given BTRC’s data, Bangladesh should be positioned ahead of Pakistan.
The report continues with Mexico in eighth place with 110 million users. Japan follows in ninth with nearly 109 million, and Nigeria completes the top ten with around 107 million internet users.
The Philippines ranks 11th with approximately 97.5 million users, followed by Egypt in 12th with 96.3 million. Vietnam ranks 13th with 79.8 million, and Germany holds the 14th position with about 78.9 million users.
Bangladesh ranks 15th, with 77.7 million internet users as per Statista’s data.
Turkey is in 16th position with approximately 77.3 million users, followed by Iran with around 73.2 million. The United Kingdom ranks 18th with 67.8 million users, Thailand is 19th with 65.4 million, and France ranks 20th with 63.4 million users.
Italy occupies the 21st spot with around 53.3 million users, South Africa ranks 22nd with 50.8 million, and South Korea follows in 23rd with 50.4 million. Spain stands in 24th place with around 46.2 million users, and Argentina ranks 25th with approximately 41.2 million.
Despite the discrepancy between Statista’s and BTRC’s figures, the report places Bangladesh firmly among the top 15 countries in terms of internet usage, highlighting the country's growing digital footprint on the global stage.
