Internet adoption SEA 2024, by country

In 2024, Malaysia recorded the highest internet adoption rate across Southeast Asia at over 97 percent. In contrast, Indonesia, the region's most populous country, had an internet adoption rate of 66.5 percent that year.

Mobile is the most accessible way to connect in SEA

Across various digital industries, a preference for mobile over other connected devices is prevalent and constantly growing among Southeast Asian users. Smartphones are by far the most-used device for streaming video content across the region, and in Southeast Asia's gaming market, mobile gaming apps make up the biggest segment. As smartphone ownership in the region's major markets has already surpassed 90 percent, mobile devices are the most widely accessible way to go online for consumers across the region.

Mobile infrastructure varies across the region

Singapore, Brunei, and Malaysia boast some of the highest mobile internet penetration rates in the world, attributable to their national mobile internet infrastructures. While Southeast Asia's most populous markets, Indonesia and the Philippines, also have the largest online populations in the region, there is still room for growth due to mobile infrastructures being unable to accommodate the high user demand. However, mobile network infrastructure is developing quickly, as Indonesia's mobile internet penetration surpassed 76 percent in 2022, marking a significant increase from under 50 percent in 2017.