The fastest and slowest internet countries in the world in 2023
The world of internet connectivity is vast and varied. With the advent of the digital age, broadband speed has become a critical factor in our daily lives, influencing everything from entertainment to education, business, and beyond. Fastest Internet CountriesÂ
A staggering 1.3 billion broadband speed tests were carried out across 220 countries and meticulously analyzed by Cable.co.uk. The results reveal a fascinating snapshot of global broadband speeds in 2023.
The Interactive Map: A Global Overview Fastest Internet CountriesÂ
The Interactive Broadband Network Speed Map, as featured on Cable.co.uk, offers a comprehensive view of average broadband network speeds in different countries. The map is interactive, meaning you can hover over a country to reveal its ranking, mean download speed, unique IP addresses tested, the total number of tests, and the time it would take to download an HD movie.
The map reveals that Western Europe, North America, and the Baltic regions boast the highest network speeds. In contrast, the African continent, Central and South America, Near East, and CIS regions tend to have slower network speeds. This disparity is largely due to differences in infrastructure and digital service uptake.
The Impact of Broadband Speed on Daily Life
To put these speeds into perspective, downloading an HD movie of 5GB in size would take a mere 2m 35s at the average speed experienced in Jersey, while the same task would take a lengthy 6h 38m in Afghanistan, the country with the slowest speed.
Europe: The Fastest Continent for Broadband
30 of the top 50 fastest-performing countries are located in Europe, including Eastern, Western, and Baltic regions. In contrast, 32 of the 50 slowest-performing countries are found in Sub-Saharan or Northern Africa.
Western Europe stands tall in the global speed rankings, boasting eight of the top ten fastest countries for broadband. The autonomous dependency of Jersey takes the crown for the fastest broadband in Europe, and indeed the world, with an impressive average speed of 264.52Mbps.
Western Europe
All 28 countries measured in Western Europe were in the top half of the table, with eight of them in the top ten. The regional average speed of 118.69Mbps makes it the fastest of the 13 global regions overall. Impressive average speeds were measured for regional top-three Jersey (264.52Mbps, 1st), Liechtenstein (246.76Mbps, 2nd) and Iceland 229.35Mbps, 4th). The slowest places in the region were Faroe Islands (41.97Mbps, 92nd), Denmark (49.98Mbps, 71st), and Austria (55.82Mbps, 67th).
- Position:Â 1st
- Total counties tested:Â 28
- Average download speed:Â 118.69Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 243,885,500
- Total unique IPs:Â 64,420,252
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:07:18
Eastern Europe
There are 16 qualifying countries in the Eastern Europe region, all bar two of which are in the top half of the table, with six making it into the top 50. Overall the region averages 67.92Mbps. The fastest three were Slovakia (138.03Mbps, 11th), Romania (100.66Mbps, 25th) and North Macedonia (97.88Mbps, 26th). The slowest three were Albania (25.36Mbps, 125th), Croatia (25.72Mbps, 124th), and Bulgaria (40.43Mbps, 98th).
- Position:Â 4th
- Total counties tested:Â 16
- Average download speed:Â 67.92Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 14,797,371
- Total unique IPs:Â 1,376,998
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:12:35
Baltics
The Baltics, comprising three qualifying countries, ranked entirely within the top 50, and have an overall regional average of 80.09Mbps. Lithuania fared best in 37th place overall and with an average speed of 87.09Mbps. Lithuania (86.36Mbps, 38st), and Latvia (66.79Mbps, 40th) followed behind.
- Position:Â 3rd
- Total counties tested:Â 3
- Average download speed:Â 80.09Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 145,179
- Total unique IPs:Â 27,584
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:08:39
Asia’s Top Performers: Macau and Taiwan
In the Asia region, excluding the Near East, 27 countries were measured, with a regional average speed of 45.72Mbps. Macau, Taiwan, and Japan lead the pack, while Afghanistan, East Timor, and Pakistan trail behind.
Macau and Taiwan are the only two regions outside of Western Europe to break into the top ten fastest in the world, with average speeds of 231.40Mbps and 153.51Mbps respectively. Fastest Internet CountriesÂ
Asia (excl. Near East)
27 countries were measured in the Asia (ex. Near East) region, which clocked in a regional average speed of 45.72Mbps. The fastest average speeds were measured in Macau (231.40Mbps, 3rd), Taiwan (153.51Mbps, 8th), and Japan (124.70Mbps, 18th). Afghanistan (1.71Mbps, 220th), East Timor (2.50Mbps, 217th), and Pakistan (5.32Mbps, 200th) were the slowest in the region, with East Timor and Afghanistan among the slowest ten countries in the world.
- Position:Â 5th
- Total counties tested:Â 27
- Average download speed:Â 45.72Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 420,192,438
- Total unique IPs:Â 102,836,602
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:35:58
Near East
The 15 countries in the Near East measured for this year’s speed league table span from the middle to the bottom of the table. The average download speed for the region is 30.41Mbps. The fastest countries were Israel (75.03Mbps, 46th), Qatar (50.68Mbps, 70th) and Bahrain (47.72Mbps, 75th). The slowest were Yemen (1.79Mbps, 219th), Syria (2.30Mbps, 218th) and Lebanon (6.55Mbps, 191st).
- Position:Â 9th
- Total counties tested:Â 15
- Average download speed:Â 30.41Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 4,678,132
- Total unique IPs:Â 1,451,161
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:30:41
The Slowest Broadband Speeds: Northern Africa
Northern Africa, unfortunately, lags behind with the lowest average speed in the world at 9.81Mbps. In contrast, Western European nations collectively showcase the highest average regional speed at 118.69Mbps. Fastest Internet CountriesÂ
Sub-Saharan Africa
47 countries were measured in the second-slowest region Sub-Saharan Africa, which averaged a download speed of 12.11Mbps overall. All but four of the countries found themselves in the slowest half of the league table. Going against the trend somewhat were Réunion (45.51Mbps, 79th), Rwanda (39.89Mbps, 99th), South Africa (36.46Mbps, 104th), and Burkina Faso (35.64Mbps, 108th). Meanwhile, Equatorial Guinea (2.70Mbps, 216th), Cameroon (3.16Mbps, 213th), Ethiopia (3.54Mbps, and 212th), Burundi (3.70Mbps, 211th) all fell among the slowest ten countries in the world for average network speed.
- Position:Â 12th
- Total counties tested:Â 47
- Average download speed:Â 12.11Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 30,395,299
- Total unique IPs:Â 3,032,136
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 1:29:35
Northern Africa
Northern Africa recorded the slowest overall internet speeds as a collective region, with an average speed of just 9.81Mbps. Morocco (16.49Mbps, 144th), Egypta (9.75Mbps, 172nd), and Tunisia (9.60Mbps, 174th) offered the fastest speeds in the region. Libya (6.32Mbps) recorded the slowest speed in 195th place, followed by Algeria (7.73Mbps, 187th), and Mauritania (8.95Mbps, 182nd).
- Position:Â 13th
- Total counties tested:Â 6
- Average download speed:Â 9.81Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 14,219,203
- Total unique IPs:Â 4,460,757
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 1:15:52
The Caribbean’s Respectable Speeds Fastest Internet CountriesÂ
The Caribbean region, primarily made up of island nations, performs well with five of its 27 countries featuring in the top 50 fastest countries in the world. The region offers a respectable average speed of 38.93Mbps.
Northern America
Five countries were measured in Northern America, all of which were in the top half of the table. The region as a whole has an average speed of 94.02Mbps. The United States (136.48Mbps, 12th) led the region with Canada (136.08Mbps, 13th) coming a close second, and Bermuda (95.58Mbps, 30th) in third place. Meanwhile, Greenland (41.19Mbps, 95th) was the slowest in the region, followed by Saint Pierre and Miquelon (60.77Mbps, 57th).
- Position:Â 2nd
- Total counties tested:Â 5
- Average download speed:Â 94.02Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 402,027,203
- Total unique IPs:Â 78,238,396
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:09:00
Caribbean
Overall the Caribbean region fared well for what are essentially island nations, with five of its 27 countries featuring in the top 50 fastest countries in the world. Overall, the region offers a respectable 38.93Mbps on average. At the faster end, the Cayman Islands (125.08Mbps, 17th), Puerto Rico (96.65Mbps, 29th), and Barbados (93.50Mbps, 35th) led the way, while Cuba (4.14Mbps, 209th), Haiti (10.75Mbps, 170th), Sint Maarten (16.00Mbps, 147th), and Dominican Republic (19.48Mbps, 137th) were the slowest.
- Position:Â 7th
- Total counties tested:Â 27
- Average download speed:Â 38.93Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 1,078,807
- Total unique IPs:Â 242,597
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:23:16
Central America
Most Central American countries found themselves toward the middle of the league table. The region as a whole has an average speed of 32.88Mbps. The fastest average speeds can be found in Panama (56.93Mbps, 65th), Costa Rica (42.51Mbps, 90th), and Belize (38.86Mbps, 100th). Meanwhile, Honduras (16.76Mbps, 143rd), Guatamala (23.26Mbps, 129th), and El Salvador (23.56Mbps, 128th) all performed relatively poorly.
- Position:Â 8th
- Total counties tested:Â 7
- Average download speed:Â 32.88Mbps
- Total speed tests:Â 18,620,387
- Total unique IPs:Â 5,530,028
- Average time for 5GB movie (HH:MM:SS):Â 0:23:50
Broadband Speeds: A Global Perspective
The data reveals a significant disparity in broadband speeds across the globe. While some regions enjoy lightning-fast connections, others struggle with speeds that barely meet the minimum requirements set by telecom watchdogs. However, the trend shows significant speed improvements in many parts of the world, indicating a promising future for global broadband connectivity.
Year | Average download (Mbps) | Change (Mbps) | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | 46.79 | +7.41 | 30.04% |
2022 | 35.98 | +6.19 | 20.78% |
2021 | 29.79 | +4.96 | 19.98% |
Fastest Internet Countries