Countries with the fastest internet in the world – ranked
The countries with the fastest internet in the world have been announced for the year. Read our insights from the study and browse the rankings below
10th December 2020
If you’re one of the millions of people working in a remote job or pursuing a career as a digital nomad, then internet speed is one of the important factors in your choice of destination.
Internet comparison site Cable has ranked the countries with the fastest broadband internet in the world based on over 557 million speed tests across 221 countries or territories.
It is the third year of the assessment and the latest ranking uses data collected in the 12 months up to 30th June 2020 to evaluate internet speed by country.
10 Countries with the fastest internet
Liechtenstein has the fastest broadband in the world with an average speed of 229.98Mbps. Many would argue that having the fastest internet, means having the best internet in the world.
- Liechtenstein
- Andorra
- Iceland
- Switzerland
- Hong Kong (SAR)
- Monaco
- Hungary
- Netherlands
- Aruba
- Malta
10 Countries with the slowest internet
South Sudan has the slowest broadband in the world with an average speed of just 0.58Mbps.
- South Sudan
- Yemen
- Turkmenistan
- Equatorial Guinea
- Syria
- Timor-Leste
- Tajikistan
- Ethiopia
- Somalia
- Sudan
“While global broadband speeds continue to trend upward, the truth is faster countries are the ones lifting the average, pulling away at speed and leaving the slowest to stagnate.”
Dan Howdle, Cable
Key headlines
- The global average broadband internet speed is 24.83Mbps (megabits per second).
- Liechtenstein has the fastest broadband in the world overtaking Taiwan with an average speed of 229.98Mbps.
- South Sudan has the slowest broadband in the world with an average speed of just 0.58Mbps.
- It would take nearly 20 hours to download a 5GB movie file in South Sudan while someone in Liechtenstein could do it in under three minutes.
- The five countries with the fastest internet have download speeds around 276 times faster than the five slowest.
- 32 of the 50 fastest countries are located in Europe, with seven in Asia, seven in the Caribbean, two in North America and two in the Middle East.
- By contrast, 32 of the 50 slowest-performing countries are located in Africa.
- 109 countries have average speeds below 10Mbps, a speed deemed by UK telecoms watchdog Ofcom to be the minimum required to cope with the demands of a typical family or small business.
The internet is getting faster, but…
The average global internet speed is getting faster with the global average increasing by around 20%. This takes into account changes M-Lab has made to their measurement platform.
However, it is worth noting that the countries contributing the most to this rise are those in developed nations which already have established infrastructure and can therefore roll out the latest technology available.
Comparatively, there is little development – and therefore little change in availability, rollout and uptake of faster infrastructure – in the bottom half of the ranking compared with the top half.
Generally speaking, the countries with the fastest internet speeds are likely to be smaller and more developed. The larger and less developed a nation is, the slower the internet will likely be.
Region by region
Unsurprisingly, Europe has the world’s highest concentration of countries with the fastest internet. Eight of the top ten countries with the fastest internet are in Europe. Liechtenstein has the fastest broadband in Europe and the world an average speed of 229.98Mbps.
Andorra (2), Iceland (3) and Switzerland (4) are not far behind with average speeds of 213.41, 116.88 and 110.45Mbps respectively. The UK is in 40th place with average speed of 37.82Mbps.
Hover over a country above to bring up its speed data
In Asia, Hong Kong (5), Singapore (14), Taiwan (27), Japan (28) and South Korea (36) are the continent’s top performers with speeds of 105.32, 72.75, 54.77, 54.62, and 40.81Mbps respectively.
The US (16) has the fastest broadband in the Americas with an average speed of 71.3Mbps. Canada (29) is the region’s second-fastest with 52.60Mbps. Generally, Caribbean countries perform well with Aruba the region’s fastest internet with an average speed of 89.81Mbps.
Uruguay (59) has the fastest broadband in South America at 22.16Mbps, while Venezuela (180) has the slowest at 1.61Mbps.
Sub-Saharan Africa is some distance behind the rest of the world when it comes to broadband provision. 48 countries in the region were assessed, with 45 of them in the lowest 50% of countries in the table. Madagascar is the fastest African nation in 65th place with an average speed of 18Mbps.
“Europe absolutely dominates the leaderboard once again thanks to largely excellent infrastructure. In all cases, those countries ranking highest are those with a strong focus on pure fibre (FTTP) networks, with those countries dawdling too much on FTTC and ADSL solutions slipping further down year-on-year.”
Dan Howdle, Cable
In the Middle East, the fastest countries were UAE (46), Israel (50) and Qatar (57) with 28.33, 26.49 and 23.98Mbps respectively. The slowest were Lebanon (168), Syria (190) and Yemen (193) with 2.34, 0.76 and 0.65Mbps.
Countries with the fastest internet in Europe
- Liechtenstein (1)
- Andorra (2)
- Iceland (3)
- Switzerland (4)
- Monaco (6)
- Hungary (7)
- Netherlands (8)
- Malta (10)
- Denmark (11)
- Sweden (12)
Countries with the fastest internet in Asia
- Hong Kong (5)
- Singapore (14)
- Taiwan (27)
- Japan (28)
- South Korea (36)
- Thailand (44)
- Russia (54)
- Sri Lanka (60)
- Macau (SAR) (78)
- India (82)
Complete rankings
The table below ranks countries by their average download speed in megabits per second (Mbps) and the typical download time (DT) for a 5GB movie.
Some countries and territories have been excluded due to insufficient sample sizes.
Position | Country | Mbps | 5GB DT |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Liechtenstein | 229.98 | 0h 02m 58s |
2 | Andorra | 213.41 | 0h 03m 12s |
3 | Iceland | 116.88 | 0h 05m 50s |
4 | Switzerland | 110.45 | 0h 06m 11s |
5 | Hong Kong (SAR) | 105.32 | 0h 06m 29s |
6 | Monaco | 104.98 | 0h 06m 30s |
7 | Hungary | 99.74 | 0h 06m 51s |
8 | Netherlands | 95.60 | 0h 07m 08s |
9 | Aruba | 89.81 | 0h 07m 36s |
10 | Malta | 87.36 | 0h 07m 49s |
11 | Denmark | 85.03 | 0h 08m 02s |
12 | Sweden | 81.29 | 0h 08m 24s |
13 | Bermuda | 73.60 | 0h 09m 17s |
14 | Singapore | 72.75 | 0h 09m 23s |
15 | Slovakia | 72.26 | 0h 09m 27s |
16 | USA | 71.30 | 0h 09m 34s |
17 | Estonia | 70.90 | 0h 09m 38s |
18 | Norway | 67.31 | 0h 10m 08s |
19 | New Zealand | 66.66 | 0h 10m 14s |
20 | Belgium | 66.49 | 0h 10m 16s |
21 | Slovenia | 65.46 | 0h 10m 26s |
22 | Romania | 61.08 | 0h 11m 11s |
23 | Barbados | 56.90 | 0h 12m 00s |
24 | Lithuania | 56.63 | 0h 12m 03s |
25 | Spain | 55.84 | 0h 12m 14s |
26 | Poland | 55.40 | 0h 12m 19s |
27 | Taiwan | 54.77 | 0h 12m 28s |
28 | Japan | 54.62 | 0h 12m 30s |
29 | Canada | 52.60 | 0h 12m 59s |
30 | Latvia | 52.32 | 0h 13m 03s |
31 | France | 51.33 | 0h 13m 18s |
32 | Malaysia | 46.82 | 0h 14m 35s |
33 | Bulgaria | 46.22 | 0h 14m 46s |
34 | Finland | 44.05 | 0h 15m 30s |
35 | Germany | 42.33 | 0h 16m 08s |
36 | South Korea | 40.81 | 0h 16m 44s |
37 | Grenada | 38.64 | 0h 17m 40s |
38 | Bahamas | 38.14 | 0h 17m 54s |
39 | Portugal | 37.99 | 0h 17m 58s |
40 | UK | 37.82 | 0h 18m 03s |
41 | Panama | 36.55 | 0h 18m 41s |
42 | Ireland | 34.87 | 0h 19m 35s |
43 | Croatia | 33.82 | 0h 20m 11s |
44 | Thailand | 30.61 | 0h 22m 18s |
45 | Trinidad & Tobago | 29.70 | 0h 22m 59s |
46 | UAE | 28.33 | 0h 24m 06s |
47 | Czech Rep. | 28.12 | 0h 24m 16s |
48 | Austria | 27.74 | 0h 24m 36s |
49 | Moldova | 27.48 | 0h 24m 50s |
50 | Israel | 26.49 | 0h 25m 46s |
51 | Greece | 26.01 | 0h 26m 15s |
52 | Australia | 25.65 | 0h 26m 37s |
53 | Montenegro | 25.07 | 0h 27m 14s |
54 | Russia | 24.98 | 0h 27m 20s |
55 | Serbia | 24.74 | 0h 27m 36s |
56 | San Marino | 24.26 | 0h 28m 08s |
57 | Qatar | 23.98 | 0h 28m 28s |
58 | Italy | 23.18 | 0h 29m 27s |
59 | Uruguay | 22.16 | 0h 30m 48s |
60 | Sri Lanka | 20.73 | 0h 32m 56s |
61 | Kosovo | 20.3 | 0h 33m 37s |
62 | Jamaica | 20.01 | 0h 34m 07s |
63 | Vatican City | 19.12 | 0h 35m 43s |
64 | Greenland | 18.65 | 0h 36m 36s |
65 | Madagascar | 18.00 | 0h 37m 55s |
66 | Brazil | 17.89 | 0h 38m 09s |
67 | Belize | 16.57 | 0h 41m 11s |
68 | Paraguay | 16.50 | 0h 41m 23s |
69 | Costa Rica | 16.42 | 0h 41m 34s |
70 | St. Lucia | 16.35 | 0h 41m 45s |
71 | Mexico | 16.19 | 0h 42m 10s |
72 | Chile | 16.10 | 0h 42m 24s |
73 | Belarus | 16.08 | 0h 42m 27s |
74 | St. Vincent & Gren. | 15.69 | 0h 43m 30s |
75 | Bosnia & Herz. | 15.66 | 0h 43m 35s |
76 | Cyprus | 15.62 | 0h 43m 42s |
77 | Ukraine | 15.09 | 0h 45m 14s |
78 | Macau (SAR) | 14.66 | 0h 46m 34s |
79 | Jordan | 14.54 | 0h 46m 57s |
80 | South Africa | 14.04 | 0h 48m 37s |
81 | Georgia | 13.50 | 0h 50m 35s |
82 | India | 13.46 | 0h 50m 44s |
83 | Vietnam | 13.41 | 0h 50m 54s |
84 | Saudi Arabia | 12.67 | 0h 53m 53s |
85 | Albania | 12.36 | 0h 55m 15s |
86 | Oman | 12.25 | 0h 55m 44s |
87 | Kuwait | 12.06 | 0h 56m 37s |
88 | Armenia | 11.86 | 0h 57m 33s |
89 | North Macedonia | 11.48 | 0h 59m 27s |
90 | Bahrain | 10.87 | 1h 02m 49s |
91 | Dominican Rep. | 10.69 | 1h 03m 51s |
92 | Dominica | 9.96 | 1h 08m 34s |
93 | Antigua & Barbuda | 9.63 | 1h 10m 53s |
94 | Brunei | 8.97 | 1h 16m 06s |
95 | Turkey | 8.86 | 1h 17m 05s |
96 | Fiji | 8.83 | 1h 17m 19s |
97 | Colombia | 8.80 | 1h 17m 33s |
98 | Philippines | 8.77 | 1h 17m 51s |
99 | Ecuador | 8.48 | 1h 20m 29s |
100 | Kenya | 8.2 | 1h 23m 15s |
101 | Peru | 7.98 | 1h 25m 30s |
102 | Guatemala | 7.61 | 1h 29m 44s |
103 | Lesotho | 7.43 | 1h 31m 52s |
104 | Mauritius | 7.28 | 1h 33m 44s |
105 | Indonesia | 7.16 | 1h 35m 21s |
106 | St. Kitts & Nevis | 7.11 | 1h 36m 03s |
107 | Myanmar | 7.11 | 1h 36m 04s |
108 | Zimbabwe | 6.92 | 1h 38m 36s |
109 | Liberia | 6.83 | 1h 39m 56s |
110 | Nicaragua | 6.65 | 1h 42m 40s |
111 | Cape Verde | 6.64 | 1h 42m 53s |
112 | Morocco | 6.55 | 1h 44m 17s |
113 | Argentina | 6.20 | 1h 50m 04s |
114 | El Salvador | 6.13 | 1h 51m 24s |
115 | Honduras | 5.93 | 1h 55m 06s |
116 | Senegal | 5.93 | 1h 55m 08s |
117 | Maldives | 5.88 | 1h 56m 03s |
118 | French Guiana | 5.80 | 1h 57m 46s |
119 | Haiti | 5.75 | 1h 58m 40s |
120 | Tunisia | 5.66 | 2h 00m 42s |
121 | Cote D'Ivoire | 5.55 | 2h 03m 04s |
122 | Kyrgyzstan | 5.47 | 2h 04m 51s |
123 | Ghana | 5.46 | 2h 05m 04s |
124 | Mongolia | 5.25 | 2h 09m 55s |
125 | Nepal | 5.22 | 2h 10m 52s |
126 | Cambodia | 5.21 | 2h 11m 07s |
127 | Uganda | 5.16 | 2h 12m 24s |
128 | Bolivia | 5.06 | 2h 14m 59s |
129 | Kazakhstan | 5.01 | 2h 16m 15s |
130 | Azerbaijan | 4.89 | 2h 19m 41s |
131 | Comoros | 4.85 | 2h 20m 48s |
132 | Egypt | 4.71 | 2h 24m 48s |
133 | Bhutan | 4.62 | 2h 27m 49s |
134 | Tanzania | 4.54 | 2h 30m 26s |
135 | Eswatini | 4.51 | 2h 31m 15s |
136 | Iran | 4.50 | 2h 31m 47s |
137 | Micronesia | 4.49 | 2h 31m 58s |
138 | Laos | 4.47 | 2h 32m 46s |
139 | Guyana | 4.43 | 2h 33m 57s |
140 | Suriname | 4.42 | 2h 34m 23s |
141 | Gabon | 4.37 | 2h 36m 07s |
142 | French Polynesia | 4.28 | 2h 39m 31s |
143 | Palau | 4.24 | 2h 41m 06s |
144 | Burkina Faso | 4.19 | 2h 42m 55s |
145 | Angola | 4.15 | 2h 44m 18s |
146 | Malawi | 4.07 | 2h 47m 47s |
147 | Burundi | 4.04 | 2h 49m 11s |
148 | Togo | 4.03 | 2h 49m 28s |
149 | Seychelles | 3.96 | 2h 52m 29s |
150 | Namibia | 3.91 | 2h 54m 41s |
151 | Sierra Leone | 3.86 | 2h 56m 57s |
152 | Zambia | 3.84 | 2h 57m 34s |
153 | Rwanda | 3.8 | 2h 59m 52s |
154 | Mozambique | 3.47 | 3h 16m 32s |
155 | Mali | 3.45 | 3h 17m 44s |
156 | Nigeria | 3.34 | 3h 24m 16s |
157 | Bangladesh | 3.24 | 3h 31m 01s |
158 | Cuba | 3.16 | 3h 36m 16s |
159 | Palestine | 3.13 | 3h 38m 03s |
160 | Guinea | 3.04 | 3h 44m 56s |
161 | Botswana | 2.78 | 4h 05m 23s |
162 | Cameroon | 2.78 | 4h 05m 55s |
163 | Niger | 2.77 | 4h 06m 17s |
164 | Marshall Islands | 2.75 | 4h 08m 08s |
165 | Iraq | 2.69 | 4h 13m 48s |
166 | Papua New Guinea | 2.67 | 4h 15m 19s |
167 | Libya | 2.6 | 4h 22m 05s |
168 | Lebanon | 2.34 | 4h 51m 32s |
169 | Chad | 2.25 | 5h 03m 12s |
170 | Vanuatu | 2.22 | 5h 06m 55s |
171 | Pakistan | 2.14 | 5h 19m 18s |
172 | Uzbekistan | 2.1 | 5h 24m 50s |
173 | China | 2.09 | 5h 27m 25s |
174 | DR Congo | 2.06 | 5h 31m 57s |
175 | Rep. of the Congo | 2.00 | 5h 41m 20s |
176 | Sao Tome & Principe | 1.99 | 5h 42m 37s |
177 | Algeria | 1.83 | 6h 12m 30s |
178 | Benin | 1.67 | 6h 47m 40s |
179 | Guinea-Bissau | 1.61 | 7h 03m 04s |
180 | Venezuela | 1.61 | 7h 03m 05s |
181 | Gambia | 1.60 | 7h 07m 30s |
182 | Djibouti | 1.50 | 7h 34m 50s |
183 | Mauritania | 1.47 | 7h 44m 30s |
184 | Afghanistan | 1.37 | 8h 17m 37s |
185 | Sudan | 1.35 | 8h 24m 07s |
186 | Somalia | 1.14 | 9h 56m 39s |
187 | Ethiopia | 1.12 | 10h 10m 34s |
188 | Tajikistan | 1.01 | 11h 16m 08s |
189 | Timor-Leste | 0.89 | 12h 42m 52s |
190 | Syria | 0.76 | 15h 00m 11s |
191 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.75 | 15h 13m 09s |
192 | Turkmenistan | 0.74 | 15h 25m 57s |
193 | Yemen | 0.65 | 17h 23m 00s |
194 | South Sudan | 0.58 | 19h 31m 00s |
The full Worldwide Broadband Speed League from Cable can be downloaded here.
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