Average Internet Speeds By Country

This interactive global map shows average internet speeds by country. Hover over a country to reveal the average internet speed. Click on a link in the index to see top 10 fastest internet speeds by average, for specific global regions.

How is average internet speed for each country measured?

Speeds are measured in Megabits Per Second (Mbps) and map data is sourced from the Q4 2015 State of the Internet Report. Analysis from more than 200 trillion requests to the Akamai CDN platform, from 149 countries worldwide. Business and residential internet connection speeds included, from unique IPs. Mobile network speeds excluded.

For more recent average internet speed updates, jump to the latest internet speed by country data:

IMPORTANT: Internet speeds in each country are AVERAGE speeds. NOT the fastest internet speeds available. For insight into countries with the 'best' or fastest internet speeds, data shows the % of internet speed tests above certain thresholds. The % of connections above 4Mbps, 10Mbps and 15Mbps for each country indicates which country has overall higher internet speeds, over a larger sample of tests. For example, as of 2015, 80.5% of internet connection speed tests averaged above 10Mbps in South Korea. Likewise for nearby average internet speeds in Japan. At that time, Japan's internet speed test data shows 62.8% of Japanese internet users connected to average speeds higher than 10Mbps. (In the USA at that time, only 52.9% of USA internet users tested above an average internet speed of 10Mbps).

Individual Internet Service Providers in each country, may provide slower or faster internet speeds in certain areas. Internet speeds received by end users are also based on other factors, like the type of internet connection available. An average is a good indication of where an individual country's internet speed performance is at, in our opinion.

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Median & Fastest Internet Speeds By Country - August 2020

Here is our 2020 update on the fastest Internet in the world by country. Speed test data is collected by M-Lab and their Network Diagnostic Tool (NDT). M-Lab is the source we will be using moving forward, for all Internet speed data and analysis. M-Lab measures median download and upload speeds for 192 countries, on a weekly basis. Internet speed by country data current as of August 30th 2020. Countries below are ranked by median download speeds, at time of testing. Important: download speeds are one part of Internet speed tests. Upload speed is also important when ranking countries with the fastest Internet speed.

Fastest Internet In The World 2020 - Ranked By Median Download Speeds
Rank Country Download Speed (Mbps) Upload Speed (Mbps) # Download Tests # Upload Tests No. IPs
1 Liechtenstein 199.28 Mbps 39.78 Mbps 96 98 10
2 Hong Kong 112.32 Mbps 91.40 Mbps 4782 5589 933
3 Denmark 107.78 Mbps 66.02 Mbps 21495 22217 912
4 Switzerland 93.60 Mbps 41.44 Mbps 65614 74350 1907
5 Netherlands 93.48 Mbps 27.58 Mbps 89478 93970 9044
6 Sweden 91.36 Mbps 86.04 Mbps 20812 23875 2071
7 Iceland 80.19 Mbps 24.30 Mbps 314 435 55
8 Finland 79.40 Mbps 18.39 Mbps 9487 10395 526
9 Andorra 76.67 Mbps 56.20 Mbps 159 176 33
10 Bermuda 74.21 Mbps 19.27 Mbps 589 631 46
11 San Marino 61.89 Mbps 9.76 Mbps 4 3 3
12 Norway 58.95< Mbps 49.73 Mbps 13841 14298 2083
13 United States 54.99 Mbps 10.4 Mbps5 1972335 2126398 364898
14 New Zealand 52.86 Mbps 19.85 Mbps 21053 21533 3518
15 South Korea 44.42 Mbps 41.96 Mbps 5215 5393 413
16 Belgium 41.68 Mbps 12.47 Mbps 42931 43810 6537
17 Hungary 39.85 Mbps 15.35 Mbps 3512 3439 903
18 Germany 37.50 Mbps 9.78 Mbps 144229 142519 56429
19 Barbados 34.98 Mbps 17.07 Mbps 352 420 110
20 Saint Pierre and Miquelon 34.40 Mbps 4.48 Mbps 13 10 1
21 Luxembourg 34.12 Mbps 10.45 Mbps 298 305 72
22 Australia 32.26 Mbps 10.69 Mbps 95073 99997 30367
23 Bahrain 32.05 Mbps 17.64 Mbps 533 463 273
24 Austria 31.70 Mbps 9.43 Mbps 19126 18000 5139
25 Japan 31.23 Mbps 44.60 Mbps 83445 82208 38954
26 Taiwan 30.58 Mbps 18.14 Mbps 9999 19865 753
27 Romania 28.55 Mbps 25.62 Mbps 2418 2682 989
28 United Kingdom 28.51 Mbps 8.87 Mbps 296494 316680 65332
29 Spain 28.50 Mbps 25.92 Mbps 76757 82229 29253
30 Republic of Lithuania 27.47 Mbps 16.99 Mbps 782 721 232
31 Poland 25.77 Mbps 10.06 Mbps 6022 6468 1608
32 Bahamas 25.07 Mbps 6.86 Mbps 372 363 111
33 Canada 23.66 Mbps 8.82 Mbps 142597 144837 30905
34 Latvia 23.28 Mbps 18.39 Mbps 519 1098 185
35 Saint Lucia 21.44 Mbps 5.55 Mbps 44 46 37
36 Greenland 21.43 Mbps 85.61 Mbps 59 62 10
37 Ireland 21.27 Mbps 10.47 Mbps 21742 20990 7491
38 Israel 20.19 Mbps 3.13 Mbps 4257 4636 833
39 Slovakia 19.95 Mbps 9.55 Mbps 2443 2574 493
40 Czechia 19.04 Mbps 6.63 Mbps 20694 29905 2635
41 Bulgaria 18.86 Mbps 12.39 Mbps 1534 1479 478
42 Belize 18.08 Mbps 12.95 Mbps 227 248 112
43 Papua New Guinea 17.61 Mbps 1.57 Mbps 11 11 11
44 Portugal 17.27 Mbps 10.46 Mbps 13317 14626 6238
45 New Caledonia 17.07 Mbps 10.60 Mbps 111 146 39
46 Estonia 16.83 Mbps 22.75 Mbps 694 754 145
47 Vietnam 16.39 Mbps 19.21 Mbps 8144 8716 6118
48 Serbia 15.21 Mbps 4.42 Mbps 6155 6230 3940
49 Thailand 14.90 Mbps 15.01 Mbps 14186 16359 10329
50 Qatar 14.27 Mbps 8.83 Mbps 848 1639 759
51 Italy 14.17 Mbps 6.26 Mbps 95366 93685 34834
52 Lesotho 14.09 Mbps 4.62 Mbps 14 13 7
53 U.S. Virgin Islands 13.86 Mbps 4.90< Mbps 152 142 43
54 Cyprus 12.92 Mbps 4.97 Mbps 1779 1856 541
55 Antigua and Barbuda 12.70 Mbps 22.13 Mbps 30 33 15
56 Trinidad and Tobago 12.28 Mbps 7.02 Mbps 500 600 267
57 Slovenia 12.21 Mbps 8.98 Mbps 971 977 258
58 France 12.10 Mbps 2.89 Mbps 46524 52697 18786
59 Ukraine 11.21 Mbps 11.59 Mbps 5070 5783 3026
60 Greece 10.88 Mbps 1.50 Mbps 7335 7652 2881
61 Malaysia 10.82 Mbps 10.96 Mbps 4279 4994 2617
62 Brunei 10.69 Mbps 3.04 Mbps 216 259 178
63 Croatia 10.34 Mbps 3.06 Mbps 1703 2015 944
64 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 9.35 Mbps 4.35 Mbps 42 49 24
65 Cabo Verde 9.03 Mbps 1.36 Mbps 17 19 16
66 Republic of Moldova 8.90 Mbps 7.14 Mbps 508 609 338
67 Malta 8.54 Mbps 9.58 Mbps 480 485 119
68 Georgia 8.10 Mbps 7.16 Mbps 193 230 169
69 Russia 8.06 Mbps 8.83 Mbps 18427 22181 9176
70 Uruguay 8.05 Mbps 6.91 Mbps 1002 1114 852
71 Costa Rica 8.04 Mbps 2.30 Mbps 3819 3991 1967
72 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.03 Mbps 1.50 Mbps 937 1219 840
73 Panama 7.69 Mbps 5.07 Mbps 2232 2706 904
74 Mexico 7.55 Mbps 1.90 Mbps 102970 104889 47864
75 Grenada 7.47 Mbps 2.11 Mbps 82 87 20
76 Montenegro 7.22 Mbps 2.93 Mbps 309 426 278
77 North Macedonia 7.17 Mbps 0.88 Mbps 235 318 242
78 Solomon Islands 7.09 Mbps 3.61 Mbps 7 7 6
79 United Arab Emirates 6.76 Mbps 6.01 Mbps 3808 6077 2716
80 Albania 6.27 Mbps 2.22 Mbps 528 856 582
81 Chile 6.24 Mbps 4.21 Mbps 3536 5075 2419
82 Jamaica 5.94 Mbps 1.88 Mbps 733 808 450
83 Dominica 5.68 Mbps 8.00 Mbps 9 12 9
84 Turkey 5.22 Mbps 0.66 Mbps 9915 11150 7272
85 Saudi Arabia 5.13 Mbps 2.95 Mbps 8083 10995 6021
86 El Salvador 4.93 Mbps 1.27 Mbps 4585 4455 1970
87 Sri Lanka 4.91 Mbps 2.13 Mbps 304 465 329
88 Egypt 4.89 Mbps 0.73 Mbps 21838 23380 18998
89 Northern Mariana Islands 4.88 Mbps 2.53 Mbps 37 33 18
90 Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan 4.86 Mbps 1.25 Mbps 1291 1407 997
91 American Samoa 4.85 Mbps 2.00 Mbps 12 16 11
92 Brazil 4.80 Mbps 3.92 Mbps 265193 282153 159684
93 Cameroon 4.67 Mbps 2.84 Mbps 128 189 104
94 Bolivia 4.60 Mbps 3.71 Mbps 7754 8269 4084
95 Myanmar 4.40 Mbps 5.22 Mbps 1196 1537 987
96 Belarus 4.37 Mbps 2.70 Mbps 1340 1628 827
97 St Kitts and Nevis 4.36 Mbps 1.21 Mbps 95 73 22
98 Liberia 4.23 Mbps 2.70 Mbps 18 30 10
99 India 4.09 Mbps 2.69 Mbps 414725 399945 227100
100 Guatemala 3.78 Mbps 1.76 Mbps 8885 8766 2799
101 South Africa 3.70 Mbps 2.27 Mbps 40879 39240 16373
102 Morocco 3.64 Mbps 0.52 Mbps 23932 22783 16169
103 Nicaragua 3.64 Mbps 0.93 Mbps 2431 2415 1101
104 Tunisia 3.58 Mbps 0.71 Mbps 2988 2937 2076
105 Ecuador 3.57 Mbps 3.98 Mbps 22487 22953 11416
106 Kuwait 3.48 Mbps 1.26 Mbps 868 1574 526
107 Colombia 3.38 Mbps 1.78 Mbps 38424 40391 19828
108 Iraq 3.19 Mbps 2.63 Mbps 7801 8160 5384
109 Eswatini 2.93 Mbps 0.97 Mbps 83 93 57
110 Dominican Republic 2.92 Mbps 0.88 Mbps 5106 5318 3526
111 Oman 2.85 Mbps 0.67 Mbps 1870 2173 1161
112 Burkina Faso 2.80 Mbps 1.02 Mbps 95 116 69
113 Iran 2.74 Mbps 0.60 Mbps 6 7 7
114 Peru 2.68 Mbps 1.99 Mbps 15016 16829 8461
115 Honduras 2.64 Mbps 2.17 Mbps 3510 3661 1789
116 Palestine 2.32 Mbps 0.55 Mbps 881 849 635
117 Palau 2.28 Mbps 0.50 Mbps 4 5 4
118 Kyrgyzstan 2.24 Mbps 1.04 Mbps 138 184 139
119 Uganda 2.14 Mbps 2.04 Mbps 572 587 311
120 Kenya 2.10 Mbps 1.97 Mbps 9199 9110 3243
121 Philippines 2.05 Mbps 2.31 Mbps 166009 158522 59370
122 Cuba 2.01 Mbps 0.20 Mbps 2 2 2
123 Laos 1.99 Mbps 1.93 Mbps 47 57 43
124 Mongolia 1.98 Mbps 1.82 Mbps 71 76 42
125 Vanuatu 1.94 Mbps 2.05 Mbps 41 41 4
126 French Polynesia 1.92 Mbps 0.48 Mbps 163 168 105
127 Indonesia 1.88 Mbps 1.82 Mbps 91028 93531 54667
128 Zimbabwe 1.85 Mbps 0.61 Mbps 311 372 229
129 Mozambique 1.85 Mbps 1.51 Mbps 270 277 171
130 Tanzania 1.75 Mbps 1.74 Mbps 362 383 224
131 Nepal 1.73 Mbps 3.38 Mbps 10160 11797 5474
132 Niger 1.71 Mbps 1.39 Mbps 42 47 23
133 Guyana 1.71 Mbps 0.81 Mbps 563 632 347
134 Argentina 1.70 Mbps 0.78 Mbps 23690 26451 10732
135 Mauritius 1.62 Mbps 1.91 Mbps 127 171 122
136 Haiti 1.62 Mbps 1.86 Mbps 113 138 81
137 Paraguay 1.56 Mbps 1.91 Mbps 1370 1526 772
138 Seychelles 1.52 Mbps 0.77 Mbps 40 41 14
139 Kazakhstan 1.52 Mbps 1.37 Mbps 632 945 725
140 Fiji 1.50 Mbps 0.67 Mbps 69 69 25
141 Uzbekistan 1.49 Mbps 0.62 Mbps 1158 1660 1172
142 Armenia 1.46 Mbps 0.88 Mbps 111 168 122
143 Algeria 1.42 Mbps 0.56 Mbps 5007 5322 3824
144 Azerbaijan 1.37 Mbps 0.60 Mbps 1355 1599 1097
154 Mali 1.34 Mbps 1.25 Mbps 93 124 97
146 Cambodia 1.29 Mbps 7.30 Mbps 473 549 384
147 Angola 1.27 Mbps 1.16 Mbps 241 279 144
148 Gabon 1.23 Mbps 0.98 Mbps 136 173 117
149 Bhutan 1.22 Mbps 2.47 Mbps 10 9 5
150 Marshall Islands 1.19 Mbps 6.22 Mbps 30 33 8
151 Senegal 1.18 Mbps 0.44 Mbps 397 498 360
152 Nigeria 1.16 Mbps 1.56 Mbps 2693 2967 1409
153 Ghana 1.14 Mbps 1.10 Mbps 638 732 447
154 Togo 1.09 Mbps 0.82 Mbps 158 194 140
155 Chad 1.09 Mbps 0.97 Mbps 22 26 21
156 Sierra Leone 1.07 Mbps 1.40 Mbps 6 7 5
157 Suriname 1.05 Mbps 0.69 Mbps 220 240 130
158 Mauritania 1.02 Mbps 0.30 Mbps 85 90 64
159 Equatorial Guinea 1.01 Mbps 1.13 Mbps 10 11 9
160 São Tomé and Príncipe 0.98 Mbps 1.27 Mbps 24 25 18
161 Zambia 0.91 Mbps 1.28 Mbps 86 97 62
162 Pakistan 0.86 Mbps 0.57 Mbps 9795 13195 9141
163 Bangladesh 0.86 Mbps 2.65 Mbps 23702 27739 8293
164 Rwanda 0.81 Mbps 1.03 Mbps 78 41 26
165 Libya 0.75 Mbps 0.63 Mbps 592 691 452
166 Djibouti 0.75 Mbps 0.26 Mbps 19 30 21
167 Lebanon 0.74 Mbps 0.92 Mbps 1778 2556 1305
168 DR Congo 0.73 Mbps 0.51 Mbps 47 58 55
169 Venezuela 0.71 Mbps 0.41 Mbps 10773 11255 5937
170 Botswana 0.66 Mbps 0.96 Mbps 189 219 138
171 Comoros 0.65 Mbps 0.26 Mbps 5 5 4
172 Benin 0.65 Mbps 0.86 Mbps 84 104 77
173 Maldives 0.55 Mbps 0.81 Mbps 242 310 116
174 Somalia 0.52 Mbps 0.48 Mbps 267 355 143
175 Yemen 0.46 Mbps 0.15 Mbps 551 597 574
176 Malawi 0.41 Mbps 0.71 Mbps 5 9 9
177 Congo Republic 0.39 Mbps 1.88 Mbps 19 21 14
178 East Timor 0.36 Mbps 0.62 Mbps 7 8 9
179 Afghanistan 0.34 Mbps 0.23 Mbps 59 77 51
180 Turkmenistan 0.32 Mbps 0.59 Mbps 11 13 8
181 Namibia 0.30 Mbps 0.38 Mbps 431 313 166
182 Gambia 0.29 Mbps 0.54 Mbps 16 15 15
183 Ethiopia 0.27 Mbps 0.55 Mbps 1346 1605 967
184 Burundi 0.23 Mbps 0.21 Mbps 9 12 9
185 Tajikistan 0.23 Mbps 0.82 Mbps 44 71 45
186 Guinea 0.21 Mbps 0.76 Mbps 30 37 22
187 China 0.13 Mbps 4.87 Mbps 705 769 198
188 Ivory Coast 0.13 Mbps 0.19 Mbps 164 217 142
189 Federated States of Micronesia 0.07 Mbps 0.62 Mbps 9 9 8
190 Eritrea 0.05 Mbps 0.17 Mbps 1 3 2
191 South Sudan 0.04 Mbps 0.39 Mbps 1 5 1
192 Guinea-Bissau 0.01 Mbps 1.53 Mbps 1 1 1
Fastest Internet & Median Download Speeds 2020: Findings & Analysis

So, from these 2020 Internet speed results, what are some key findings? Generally, (excluding Hong Kong and Bermuda), Europe has the fastest Internet speeds in the world, lead by Scandinavian countries. Also Switzerland (4th fastest download speeds) and the Netherlands (5th fastest downloads). Many European countries have faster download and upload speeds, across large testing samples. Principalities and microstates also within Europe have excellent download and fast Internet speeds; Liechtenstein (1st), Andorra (9th), San Marino (11th). Worth noting is that these areas did have much lower testing samples at the time of measurement.

Overall, if you're looking for a true 'winner' when it comes to the fastest Internet speeds worldwide, Scandinavian countries are world leading. Fast download AND upload speeds are available in Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Finland and Norway. This region ranks highly for fast Internet speeds on a consistent basis, which is not just a nice have for citizens, but also a contributing factor as to why countries like Sweden produce so many start-ups.

How does Scandinavia provide such fast internet speeds? Fiber optic infrastructure is common in countries leading the world with high speed internet. Dedicated fiber internet services offer more bandwidth capacity and speeds - both uploads and downloads. Fiber as a medium sends data packets at lower latency. Much faster connection speeds are possible via fiber, as opposed to legacy copper or cable.

The USA ranks 13th for median download speeds. It is also the largest country by both population and size to perform well for download speed, over the largest testing samples. Upload speeds only measure 10.45 Mbps though.

Top 10 Worldwide Average Internet Speeds

Country Q4 2015 Avg. Mbps % Above 4 Mbps % Above 10 Mbps % Above 15 Mbps
Global Average5.6---
South Korea26.796.7%80.5%62.6%
Sweden19.193%59.5%42.4%
Norway18.889.8%61.8%44.7%
Japan17.491.1%62.8%40.3%
Netherlands17.095.7%64.5%38.8%
Hong Kong16.893.2%61.1%37.8%
Switzerland16.793.6%62.1%37.5%
Latvia16.792.5%54.1%37%
Finland16.691%57.4%34.4%
Denmark16.194.3%60.1%37.7%

Update: Top 10 Average Internet Speeds Comparison - Q3 2016

Country Q3 2016 Avg. Mbps YoY Change
Global Average6.32.3%
South Korea26.3-2.5%
Hong Kong20.13.4%
Norway20.0-0.2%
Sweden19.74.6%
Switzerland18.40.5%
Singapore18.25.3%
Japan18.05.1%
Finland17.60%
Netherlands17.32.1%
Latvia16.9-3.5%

As of Q3 2016, generally there has been increases to average internet speeds. The above table shows an overall comparison of internet speeds from 2015 to 2016.

  • Globally, average internet speeds increased from 5.6Mbps to 6.3Mbps by Q3 of 2016.
  • South Korea maintains #1 spot for average speed. (Despite a small decrease in average speed measured from Q4 of 2015).
  • Singapore jumps into the top 10, to 6th spot with 18.2Mbps. +45% average internet speed increase YoY.
  • Denmark the only country to drop outside the top 10 from 2015. Despite a 19% YoY increase, (replaced by Singapore).
  • All other countries in the top 10 from 2015, increased average internet speed in 2016.

Update: Top 10 Average Internet Speeds Comparison - Q1 2017

Country Q1 2017 Avg. Mbps YoY Change
Global Average7.215%
South Korea28.6-1.7%
Norway23.510%
Sweden22.59.2%
Hong Kong21.910%
Switzerland21.716%
Finland20.515%
Singapore20.324%
Japan20.211%
Denmark20.117%
United States18.722%

New speed data as of Q1 2017: Overall, worldwide average internet speeds increased again in Q1 of 2017. The above table compares YoY averages.

  • Worldwide average internet speed increased to 7.2Mbps in Q1 of 2017. Average speed has increased from 5.6Mbps in Q4 of 2015 to now, or +28.57%.
  • South Korea retains 1st place for fastest average internet speed in 2017. (Despite a YoY decrease of -1.7%). South Korea has maintained the fastest average internet speeds, since we began documenting data in Q4 of 2015.
  • Latvia and The Netherlands fell out of the top 10 in Q1 of 2017. (Replaced by Denmark and the USA).
  • USA entered the top 10 for the first time, recording a +22% increase to average internet speeds.
  • Denmark regained it's position in the top 10, after dropping out in Q3 of 2016. Average internet speed in Denmark increased +17% YoY.
  • Singapore recorded the largest increase to average speed with a +24% increase, to 20.3Mbps in Q1 of 2017.
  • 4 out of the top 10 countries for internet speed are in Asia (South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan).
  • Another 4 out of the top 10 countries for internet speed are in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark).

What is the average speed of internet?

The average speed of internet varies greatly from country to country. Higher averages can be observed in Asian and Scandinavian countries. Overall, average global internet speed is 5.6Mbps, as of Q4 in 2015.

In Q3 of 2016, the global average internet speed increased to 6.3Mbps, which represents a 2.3% improvement. (Average global speeds are according to Akamai data and reporting, collected from 200 different countries).

As of Q1 of 2017, the worldwide average internet speed was 7.2Mbps, according to Akamai data. Year on year, this represented a +15% increase.

What country has the fastest internet speed?

South Korea has the fastest internet speed based on Akamai data and other external speed testing. Average internet speed in South Korea was 21.1Mbps above the global average, in Q4 of 2015.

In Q1 of 2017:, South Korean internet speeds were again significantly faster than the rest of the world. This is despite a small YoY speed decrease of -1.7%. At this time, average South Korean internet speeds of 28.6Mbps, exceeded that of 2nd place Norway by a considerable 5.1Mbps.

  • An incredible 62.6% of internet connections in this country connect at speeds above 15Mbps.
  • 80.5% of connections have an average speed faster than 10Mbps (or almost double the global average internet speed).

South Korea was the first country to complete the upgrade from dial-up internet to broadband, doing so in 2005. South Korea is also home to the most internet users per capita and the heaviest data usage worldwide. According to PCMag, better government planning in South Korea has improved internet connection speeds across the country dramatically. Additionally, a competitive Korean ISP market has led to exceptional service levels for end users. In the city of Cheongju, average internet speeds to citizens of 124.5Mbps are standard. Further, 1Gbps internet plans are available in South Korea for just $20 USD.

Average download speed data from May 2018 (via M-Lab), shows Singapore had the fastest average download speeds of 60.39Mbps, followed by Sweden (46Mbps) then Denmark (43.99Mbps). Surprisingly, South Korea came in at 30th position for average download speeds at this time, with 20.63Mbps.

Where is the fastest internet in the world?

In terms of the fastest internet connection speeds, (that are not scientific tests and available for consumer or business use), South Korea is also a world leader. Other Asian countries also have some of the fastest internet in the world. Japan and Hong Kong residents on average, connected at internet speeds above 16Mbps in Q4 of 2015.

The other worldwide region which is leading the way in faster internet is Scandinavia. For a region with a much smaller population when compared to Asian, European and North American countries, Scandinavian countries have internet that connects at fast speeds and at scale.

Apart from the concentrated Scandinavian region, The Netherlands, Switzerland and Latvia provide some of the fastest internet in the world. These countries actually rank above Finland and Denmark for internet speed.

Q4 2015 Internet Speed Data:

  • Netherlands: Internet speed average of 17Mbps. (95.7% of connections > 4Mbps).
  • Switzerland: Average internet speed of 16.7Mbps.
  • Latvia: Average internet connection speed also 16.7Mbps.

Top 10 Average Internet Speeds: Asia Pacific Countries

Country Q4 2015 Avg. Mbps % Above 4 Mbps % Above 10 Mbps % Above 15 Mbps
South Korea26.796.7%80.5%62.6%
Japan17.491.1%62.8%40.3%
Hong Kong16.893.2%61.1%37.8%
Singapore13.990.8%59.3%32%
Taiwan12.990.3%44.5%24.4%
New Zealand9.387.4%25.5%10.8%
Thailand9.395.3%26.1%8.2%
Australia8.272.9%19.5%8.3%
Malaysia5.255.6%5.5%1.2%
Sri Lanka4.852.3%3.5%1.3%

Average Internet Speeds In America Increasing

Average internet speeds in the USA have increased by 12.69% QoQ, according to Akamai data. In Q3 of 2015, average connection speeds were 12.6Mbps. Whilst this is a positive for consumers, both peak and average internet speeds in the USA are well outside the global top 10.

Q3 2016 update: Average internet speeds in the USA were 16.3Mbps. Compared to Q4 of 2015, this represents a 14.78% increase.

Q1 2017 update: Average internet speeds in the USA increased to 18.7Mbps in 2017. This represented a +22% increase YoY, according to Akamai data. In Q1 of 2017, the USA enters top 10 average internet speed countries for the first time.

Increases to internet speeds in the USA can be attributed to 2 major developments;

1. Many ISPs across the USA have been aggressively updating infrastructure and improving network performance. This is to meet end user's insatiable demand for more bandwidth, as well as higher service expectations.

2. The availability of fiber internet services on a wider scale. New community based fiber service and providers such as Google Fiber have entered the market in certain areas. Affordable, higher speed fiber internet connectivity is now more prevalent.

How fast are internet speeds in the USA compared to the rest of the world?

To summarize, internet speeds in the USA are well above the global average of 5.6Mbps. Within the Americas region, the USA ranks #1. On a regional level, South, Central and North American countries provide slow internet speeds, when compared on a global scale. To see how internet service speeds perform on a US state vs state level, see our internet speeds by state map.

Top 10 Average Internet Speeds: American Countries

Country Q4 2015 Avg. Mbps % Above 4 Mbps % Above 10 Mbps % Above 15 Mbps
United States14.282.8%52.9%31.6%
Canada13.188.2%48.8%27%
Uruguay6.271.7%8.8%2%
Chile6.167.3%10.1%2.8%
Mexico5.967.9%8.2%2.2%
Argentina4.746.2%4.4%0.7%
Peru4.547.1%2.9%0.9%
Colombia4.550.6%2.2%0.5%
Ecuador4.441.8%3.3%0.8%
Brazil4.139%2.9%0.8%

Within the Americas region, the below countries experienced the largest increases to average internet speed when comparing 2016 with 2015;

  • Brazil: the largest increase to average internet speed YoY. Internet speeds of 5.5Mbps in Q3 of 2016 (+51%).
  • Panama: jumps into the top 10 for the Americas region. Averaging 5.2Mbps across 2016. (+48%).
  • Bolivia: Averaging 2.4Mbps in 2016. (+35%).

Top 10 Average Internet Speeds: European Countries

Country Q4 2015 Avg. Mbps % Above 4 Mbps % Above 10 Mbps % Above 15 Mbps
Sweden19.193%59.5%42.4%
Norway18.889.8%61.8%44.7%
Netherlands17.095.7%64.5%38.8%
Switzerland16.793.6%62.1%37.5%
Latvia16.792.5%54.1%37%
Finland16.691%57.4%34.4%
Denmark16.194.3%60.1%37.7%
Czech Republic15.988.4%51.2%30.5%
United Kingdom13.989%49.8%32.3%
Romania13.291.3%53.3%28.2%

Top 50 Average Download Speeds June 2017 - May 2018

Rank Country Average Download Speed (Mbps) Total Tests Time To Download HD Movie (5GB) 2017 Rank Position Change 2017 Average Download Speed (Mbps) 2017 Download Speed Change (Mbps)
1Singapore60.39524,01811 Mins, 18 Secs1=55.135.26
2Sweden46.00367,24114 Mins, 50 Secs2=40.165.84
3Denmark43.99150,52915 Mins, 31 Secs4 133.5410.45
4Norway40.1286,92017 Mins, 01 Secs7 329.1310.99
5Romania38.60175,94817 Mins, 41 Secs18 1321.3317.27
6Belgium36.71174,24918 Mins, 36 Secs8 227.379.34
7Netherlands35.951,247,69418 Mins, 59 Secs5 233.522.43
8Luxembourg35.1419,07119 Mins, 26 Secs33 2515.5219.62
9Hungary34.01352,74520 Mins, 04 Secs15 623.1610.85
10Jersey30.909,16522 Mins, 06 Secs14 423.307.60
11Switzerland29.92156,46322 Mins, 49 Secs10 126.932.99
12Japan28.942,563,87323 Mins, 35 Secs12=24.474.47
13Latvia28.6341,18623 Mins, 51 Secs6 730.36-1.73
14Taiwan28.09112,62824 Mins, 18 Secs3 1134.40-6.31
15Estonia27.9126,55224 Mins, 28 Secs13 224.113.80
16Spain27.193,993,70625 Mins, 06 Secs21 519.607.59
17Lithuania27.1747,01525 Mins, 08 Secs11 625.122.05
18Andorra27.141,08125 Mins, 09 Secs42 2412.0715.07
19Hong Kong26.4559,70125 Mins, 48 Secs9 1027.16-0.71
20United States25.8689,548,42526 Mins, 24 Secs21 120.005.86
21Slovakia25.30126,08426 Mins, 59 Secs23 218.856.45
22Madagascar24.874,17927 Mins, 27 Secs89 673.4921.38
23France24.231,050,87228 Mins, 10 Secs37 1413.4310.80
24Finland24.0069,85028 Mins, 26 Secs19 520.903.10
25Germany24.001,885,61728 Mins, 27 Secs24 118.805.20
26New Zealand23.77996,32228 Mins, 43 Secs30 416.856.92
27Czechia (Czech Republic)23.71304,15828 Mins, 47 Secs28 117.316.40
28Slovenia21.4140,53131 Mins, 53 Secs25 318.373.04
29Portugal21.28150,52832 Mins, 05 Secs17 1221.72-0.44
30South Korea20.63198,86733 Mins, 06 Secs16 1422.90-2.27
31Bulgaria20.2073,36533 Mins, 48 Secs27 417.542.66
32Poland19.73484,90834 Mins, 36 Secs35 314.884.85
33Canada19.488,398,43935 Mins, 03 Secs26 718.371.11
34Iceland18.8511,93036 Mins, 13 Secs47 1310.558.30
35United Kingdom18.5714,701,50536 Mins, 46 Secs31 416.512.06
36Ireland18.221,133,54837 Mins, 28 Secs36=13.924.30
37Liechtenstein17.7149838 Mins, 33 Secs44 711.406.31
38Austria17.51123,69839 Mins, 00 Secs34 415.262.25
39Barbados17.082,18239 Mins, 59 Secs65 266.6210.46
40Thailand17.061,678,48540 Mins, 01 Secs29 1116.850.21
41Macao16.123,42442 Mins, 22 Secs20 2120.52-4.40
42Croatia15.60104,93943 Mins, 46 Secs40 212.573.03
43Italy15.106,172,61245 Mins, 12 Secs46 310.714.39
44Gibraltar14.711,05946 Mins, 24 Secs38 613.181.53
45Moldova13.8827,71449 Mins, 11 Secs45=10.753.13
46Malta13.6012,04250 Mins, 13 Secs48 210.173.43
47Russia13.511,513,52150 Mins, 31 Secs43 411.591.92
48Malaysia13.30119,66851 Mins, 21 Secs63 156.696.61
49Aruba13.2782851 Mins, 27 Secs97 483.1210.15
50Serbia13.0086,27552 Mins, 31 Secs41 912.250.75

New data comparing average download speeds from June 2017 to May 2018:

Akamai now focuses their state of the Internet reports on online security threats and DDoS attacks. New data above, is from U.K based comparison site Cable.co.uk. Cable compiled download speed data from 163 million speed tests, in 200 countries. (Sourced over 12 months via M-Lab - a partnership between Google, Princeton, New America's Open Technology Institute and others).

Be aware new M-Lab data is download speed. Not average connection speed. (Download speed is typically faster than upload speed).

Below this text, we've included two tables. These compare data between the last Akamai Internet speed report in 2017 and the M-Lab download speed data. There are of course some notable differences, but also similarities between the data sets. We included a breakdown below. Again, it's important to remember M-Lab data is average download speed. Akamai compiled average connection speed.

What does analysis of our new top 50 internet download speeds show? Overwhelmingly, smaller and less populated European, Scandinavian and Asian countries are winning at providing higher internet download speeds.

Apart from the obvious difference of average download speeds (M-Lab) vs. average connection speed (Akamai), we've looked for trends between the two different data sets.

Similarities:

  • Strong representation and fast average internet and download speeds from Scandinavian countries across both data sources. (Sweden, Denmark, Norway all in top 5).
  • Singapore and Japan have consistently fast average internet speeds and download speeds, across both data sets.
  • Smaller European countries have good average internet and download speeds (Romania, Hungary, Belgium, Switzerland, Netherlands, Latvia).

Differences:

  • South Korea comes in at 30th place for download speed in the new top 50, via M-Lab data.
  • South Korea was a leader in average internet speeds from Akamai data, since Q4 of 2015.
  • Between 2017 - 2018, M-Lab data shows South Korea dropping 14 positions for average download speed.
  • Over 2017 - 2018, M-Lab data shows no change to the top 2 countries for average internet download speed. (Singapore 1st and Sweden 2nd).
  • Biggest year on year increases to average download speeds in the new top 50, are mostly in smaller countries or principalities.
  • Luxembourg, (population of approx. 600,000) moved up 25 positions to 8th. (Average download speed of 35.14Mbps. Speeds increased by 19.62Mbps year on year there).
  • In Romania, average download speeds increased by more than 17Mbps YOY (5th overall ranking. Average download speed of 38.6Mbps).
  • The principality of Andorra increased average download speeds by 15.07Mbps, year on year. (18th overall. Average speed of 27.14Mbps).
  • Top 10 fastest average internet download speeds (M-Lab data), dominated by smaller countries both in geographical size and population. The most populous country of Japan, comes in at 14th position, with average download speeds of 28.94Mbps.
  • USA drops to 20th according to M-Lab data, with an average download speed of 25.86Mbps.
  • Between 2017 - 2018 average download speeds in the USA increased by 5.86Mbps. This from the largest sample size of speed tests of any country in the top 50, (more than 89 million tests).
  • In Q1 of 2017, Akamai reported average internet speeds of 18.7Mbps for the USA, or 10th overall worldwide.

We will continue to monitor, update and compare year on year. Remember, new data measures average download speeds, not overall connection speed. Internet speed is very location dependent. Don't discount the importance of faster upload speeds today. Take your own speed test and contribute to open internet performance data here.

Per Akamai Technologies (Q1 2017)

Rank Country Average Connection Speed (Mbps)
1South Korea28.6
2Norway23.5
3Sweden22.5
4Hong Kong21.9
5Switzerland21.7
6Finland20.5
7Singapore20.3
8Japan20.2
9Denmark20.1
10United States18.7
11Netherlands17.4
12Romania17.0
13Czech Republic16.9
14United Kingdom16.9
15Taiwan16.9
16Latvia16.6
17Belgium16.3
18Canada16.2
19Thailand16.0
20Ireland15.6

Per Cable.co.uk and M-Lab (2017/18)

Rank Country Average Download Speed (Mbps)
1Singapore60.39
2Sweden46.00
3Denmark43.99
4Norway40.12
5Romania38.60
6Belgium36.71
7Netherlands35.95
8Luxembourg35.14
9Hungary34.01
10Jersey30.90
11Switzerland29.92
12Japan28.94
13Latvia28.63
14Taiwan28.09
15Estonia27.91
16Spain27.19
17Lithuania27.17
18Andorra27.14
19Hong Kong26.45
20United States25.86
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