Indians & Nepalese Are The World’s Most Voracious Mobile Data Users

With smartphones now central tools in our daily lives, mobile data usage has surged globally – especially in rural and developing countries where mobile networks often serve as the primary way to access the internet.

This graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Kayla Zhu, visualizes mobile data traffic per smartphone in 2024 in GBs per month.

Data comes from Ericsson’s June 2025 Mobility Report. India, Nepal, and Bhutan are not part of South East Asia and Oceania data.

Which Countries Have the Highest Mobile Data Usage Rates?

Below, we show mobile data traffic per smartphone in 2024 in GBs per month, by region.

The region of India, Nepal, and Bhutan leads globally, with the highest data traffic per smartphone at 32 GB per monthly, nearly 50% more than North America or Western Europe.

India in particular has some of the lowest mobile data costs globally, thanks to intense competition among telecom providers like Reliance Jio and Airtel.

Additionally, in many rural areas, smartphones are the primary, if not only, way people access the internet. In Nepal, 96% of residents access the internet through mobile devices, while only about 15% of households have devices such as computers or laptops.

Advanced regions like North America, Western Europe, and North East Asia see similar monthly usage levels, around 20 to 22 GB per phone.

Sub-Saharan Africa lags behind, with the lowest data traffic at just 5 GB per month, highlighting a significant digital usage gap compared to other regions. The region faces higher internet and data costs relative to income, making internet access less affordable for many.

To learn more about mobile data usage trends, check out this graphic that visualizes the countries with the highest monthly mobile data usage per capita.