Africa is the continent with the most expensive mobile internet in the world, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). On average, African populations spend 4.9% of their monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita to access a standard monthly internet plan, compared to the global average of just 1.3%.

In 2023, mobile internet costs in West Africa were most affordable in Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire, according to data from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN’s specialized agency for information and communication technologies.

In Nigeria, accessing the cheapest mobile broadband plan offering at least 2GB of data per month using 3G technology required 1.61% of the monthly gross national income (GNI) per capita. In Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire, the cost was 1.94% and 2%, respectively, of the monthly GNI per capita. The ITU considers internet affordable when its cost is equal to or less than 2% of monthly GNI per capita. In West Africa, only Nigeria, Ghana, and Côte d’Ivoire met this benchmark in 2023. Across Africa, the average stood at 4.9% of monthly GNI per capita. Senegal (2.47%) and Mauritania (3.01%) were below this average but still above the affordability threshold.

In contrast, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, and The Gambia had the highest mobile internet costs in the region. Residents of these countries had to spend 9.79%, 9.81%, and 11% of their monthly GNI per capita, respectively, to access the same type of mobile broadband plan.

Factors Behind High Costs

Various factors contribute to the high cost of internet in these countries. According to the State of Broadband 2024: Leveraging AI for Universal Connectivity report published in June 2024 by the Broadband Commission, lack of affordability remains a significant barrier to internet access, especially in low-income economies. The report adds that compared to prices in high-income economies, the cost of mobile broadband services is 5.5 times less affordable in lower-middle-income countries and over 20 times less affordable in low-income countries.

The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2024 report from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) notes that Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest coverage gap globally, at 13%. This is largely due to the lack of telecommunications infrastructure, which forces some markets to impose high tariffs to make the most of limited resources. "Fixed broadband networks are very expensive to deploy, maintain, and upgrade, especially considering geography and the vast areas that need coverage," the ITU highlighted.

Adoni Conrad Quenum