Mobile internet usage in the Netherlands - statistics & facts
Thanks to their portable nature, mobile and handheld devices have become one of the most common ways to access the internet for users in the Netherlands. According to a 2022 survey of Dutch users, over six in 10 respondents slept with their smartphones next to their bed, and around two in 10 slept with their devices in bed. Despite the rising concerns over privacy and digital addiction, smartphone devices engage the Dutch daily, providing both functional solutions and entertainment.
As of March 2022, almost 90 percent of internet users in the Netherlands went online using smartphones, while approximately 55 percent of them reported using tablet devices. Between 2020 and 2022, the share of Dutch internet users in the Netherlands has experienced constant increase, while usage of laptops and personal computers lagged behind in terms of growth. With several mobile operators already providing 5G data, the quality of users’ experience with mobile internet is bound to experience further improvement within the next decade.
In 2022, 95.7 percent of young Dutch users aged between 25 and 35 years accessed the internet on a smartphone or mobile phone, while this figure was lower among users aged between 65 and 75 years, with only approximately 83 percent of respondents in this demographic group reporting to use handheld devices as of the last examined period. In the same year, around 90 percent of men reported using this type of device to access the internet, while the share of women reporting to do the same was slightly smaller (87.7 percent). Additionally, when comparing mobile internet and smartphone usage based on urbanity, non-urban demographics reported lower internet access via smartphones than strongly urban or very strongly urban demographics.
The rise of mobile-first social media, led by Chinese-developed social media platform TikTok, has experienced a growing interest among users in the Netherlands. Despite controversies that pushed Dutch regulators to ban the platform on government-owned smartphones in TikTok in March 2023, the app added one million users in the Netherlands between 2022 and 2023, reaching four million users at the beginning of the year. While it is unclear whether regulators in the country will take additional steps to limit the use of the popular social video app, almost 78 percent of Dutch users reported they would favor a possible TikTok ban on professional devices in March 2023.
As of March 2022, almost 90 percent of internet users in the Netherlands went online using smartphones, while approximately 55 percent of them reported using tablet devices. Between 2020 and 2022, the share of Dutch internet users in the Netherlands has experienced constant increase, while usage of laptops and personal computers lagged behind in terms of growth. With several mobile operators already providing 5G data, the quality of users’ experience with mobile internet is bound to experience further improvement within the next decade.
Mobile access and demographics
In 2023, the Netherlands was estimated to have over 15.1 million mobile internet users. This represents an increase of approximately 2.3 percent from 2019, when the digital population of the country counted around 14.78 million mobile internet users. The overall mobile internet reach among the country’s population is expected to experience a moderate increase in the next years, reaching over 88.3 percent of Dutch individuals by the end of 2028. At the beginning of 2023, approximately 45 percent of the country’s online traffic was generated by mobile phones.In 2022, 95.7 percent of young Dutch users aged between 25 and 35 years accessed the internet on a smartphone or mobile phone, while this figure was lower among users aged between 65 and 75 years, with only approximately 83 percent of respondents in this demographic group reporting to use handheld devices as of the last examined period. In the same year, around 90 percent of men reported using this type of device to access the internet, while the share of women reporting to do the same was slightly smaller (87.7 percent). Additionally, when comparing mobile internet and smartphone usage based on urbanity, non-urban demographics reported lower internet access via smartphones than strongly urban or very strongly urban demographics.
Apps and mobile social media usage
As of October 2022, social media apps were the most engaging app category among Dutch users. On average, users in the Netherlands spent approximately 65 minutes on a daily basis on social media apps, while less than 15 minutes daily were spent on travel apps, shopping apps, and sports platforms. Gaming apps also figured among the most engaging categories for Dutch users, as 53 percent of respondents to a survey conducted in the third quarter of 2022 reported gaming mainly on their smartphones, while less than 30 percent of users reported playing on laptop and game console, respectively.The rise of mobile-first social media, led by Chinese-developed social media platform TikTok, has experienced a growing interest among users in the Netherlands. Despite controversies that pushed Dutch regulators to ban the platform on government-owned smartphones in TikTok in March 2023, the app added one million users in the Netherlands between 2022 and 2023, reaching four million users at the beginning of the year. While it is unclear whether regulators in the country will take additional steps to limit the use of the popular social video app, almost 78 percent of Dutch users reported they would favor a possible TikTok ban on professional devices in March 2023.
