Global internet speeds during lockdown have changed dramatically with many countries recording massive declines. Read our insights from the latest study and browse the rankings below
5th August 2020
Usually, at this time of year, we update our ranking of the countries with the fastest internet. Since 2017, the world has seen a year-on-year increase in average global broadband speeds of around 20%.
However, 2020 has been an exceptional year, seeing an overall drop of 6.31% across countries that initiated a lockdown in response to the global pandemic.
Internet comparison site Cable analysed data from the Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT), which tracks government lockdown measures that specifically limited the behaviour of their population, along with over 364 million broadband speed tests carried out by M-Lab.
These results were used to compare average internet speeds across 114 countries throughout and outside of their most stringent lockdown periods.
countries with the highest speed loss
The following 10 countries recorded the highest percentage speed loss during their lockdown periods.
- China, -50.97%
- Panama, -48.99%
- Madagascar, -37.71%
- Chile, -36.77%
- Peru, -36.76%
- Kyrgyzstan, -36.48%
- Cote d’Ivoire, -30.77%
- South Korea, -30.45%
- Paraguay, -29.91%
- Malaysia, -29.51%
countries with the lowest speed loss
The following 10 countries recorded the lowest percentage speed loss during their lockdown periods. In fact, they all recorded an increase in average broadband speeds.
- Angola, 117.19%
- Bahrain, 98.04%
- Iraq, 90.98%
- Bosnia & Herz., 45.33%
- Moldova, 25.54%
- Afghanistan, 23.95%
- Trinidad & Tobago, 19.16%
- Latvia, 17.91%
- Ukraine, 14.86%
- Oman, 13.05%
GLOBAL INTERNET SPEEDS DURING LOCKDOWN Mapped
Cable has produced the below interactive map. Use the +/- symbols to zoom in and out and hover over an individual country to reveal its statistics.
Regional trends
- Global internet speeds during lockdown dropped by an average of 6.31%.
- 75 countries saw a decline in broadband speed while 37 countries registered an increase.
- China recorded the largest drop, registering speeds less than half of its pre-lockdown capacity (50.97% drop).
- Central America recorded the highest regional decline with speeds dropping by 26.03% on average.
- North Africa registered the second-highest overall drop with all five qualifying countries demonstrating negative figures.
- Angola bucked the global and regional trend showing a remarkable increase of 117.19% during its lockdown period.
- South America showed an average drop of 16.11% with seven out of the 11 qualifying countries reporting drops.
- Western Europe (4.66% drop overall) is a mixed picture with 12 of its 15 qualifying countries exhibiting only limited drops in speeds.
- Ireland (2.23%), the UK (1.70%) and Portugal (0.19%) recorded relatively minor drops in speed.
- Finland (24.81%), Netherlands (13.01%), Austria (10.47%) and Italy (10.44%) had some of the worst speed drops in the region.
- Eastern Europe saw an average drop of just 1.17% with a majority of countries in the region demonstrating almost zero change.
- North America saw speeds fall in Canada (10.82%) and in Mexico (2.35%), while the USA actually registered a small increase (3.32%).
“The results are startling. Although an overall drop of just 6.31% across all countries doesn’t sound like an awful lot, this figure moves very much against the tide. Our annual global broadband speed tracker has demonstrated global increases of around 20% year-on-year since 2017. For the majority of countries in this study to be moving in the opposite direction during their COVID-19 lockdowns, then, is all the more significant.”
Dan Howdle, Cable
global internet speeds during lockdown – complete rankings
Over 100 countries and territories were excluded from the analysis. This was either because their lockdown didn’t significantly limit the behaviour of their population (Japan for example); the country didn’t instigate any lockdown measures at all; or it could not provide sufficient data for accurate analysis.
Days: number of days country spent in lockdown
During: mean broadband speed during lockdown (Mbps)
Outside: mean broadband speed outside lockdown (Mbps)
Change: percentage speed loss/gain during lockdown period
| Rank | Country | Days | During | Outside | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | China | 156 | 6.17 | 12.58 | -50.97% |
| 2 | Panama | 105 | 31.95 | 62.63 | -48.99% |
| 3 | Madagascar | 101 | 14.52 | 23.32 | -37.71% |
| 4 | Chile | 104 | 16.74 | 26.48 | -36.77% |
| 5 | Peru | 108 | 7.72 | 12.2 | -36.76% |
| 6 | Kyrgyzstan | 105 | 4.61 | 7.25 | -36.48% |
| 7 | Cote d'Ivoire | 103 | 5.62 | 8.11 | -30.77% |
| 8 | South Korea | 128 | 46.74 | 67.2 | -30.45% |
| 9 | Paraguay | 109 | 16.56 | 23.63 | -29.91% |
| 10 | Malaysia | 104 | 46.26 | 65.63 | -29.51% |
| 11 | Libya | 100 | 2.25 | 3.1 | -27.38% |
| 12 | Dominican Rep. | 103 | 11.31 | 15.39 | -26.52% |
| 13 | Finland | 73 | 35.54 | 47.27 | -24.81% |
| 14 | Ghana | 105 | 5.14 | 6.81 | -24.58% |
| 15 | Sri Lanka | 106 | 20.85 | 27.19 | -23.29% |
| 16 | Tunisia | 79 | 4.82 | 6.28 | -23.23% |
| 17 | Bangladesh | 103 | 2.79 | 3.56 | -21.76% |
| 18 | Bolivia | 106 | 5.28 | 6.73 | -21.45% |
| 19 | India | 104 | 12.92 | 16.37 | -21.05% |
| 20 | Nigeria | 96 | 3.15 | 3.98 | -20.84% |
| 21 | Philippines | 107 | 8.3 | 10.48 | -20.77% |
| 22 | Morocco | 106 | 6.21 | 7.65 | -18.72% |
| 23 | UAE | 99 | 32.62 | 39.98 | -18.42% |
| 24 | Nepal | 102 | 4.52 | 5.53 | -18.25% |
| 25 | New Zealand | 53 | 66.33 | 80.77 | -17.88% |
| 26 | Laos | 62 | 4.87 | 5.73 | -15.05% |
| 27 | Israel | 109 | 32.21 | 37.72 | -14.59% |
| 28 | Guatemala | 106 | 8.17 | 9.54 | -14.30% |
| 29 | Algeria | 99 | 1.79 | 2.07 | -13.76% |
| 30 | Togo | 102 | 3.24 | 3.74 | -13.50% |
| 31 | Hungary | 111 | 126.49 | 145.82 | -13.26% |
| 32 | Netherlands | 107 | 102.4 | 117.72 | -13.01% |
| 33 | Mauritius | 83 | 6.13 | 7.04 | -12.82% |
| 34 | Saudi Arabia | 107 | 14.04 | 16.06 | -12.62% |
| 35 | Russia | 106 | 27.4 | 31.35 | -12.60% |
| 36 | Argentina | 103 | 6.97 | 7.9 | -11.75% |
| 37 | Yemen | 61 | 0.64 | 0.72 | -11.69% |
| 38 | Canada | 104 | 56.36 | 63.2 | -10.82% |
| 39 | Austria | 78 | 28.6 | 31.94 | -10.47% |
| 40 | Italy | 128 | 23.91 | 26.69 | -10.44% |
| 41 | Venezuela | 109 | 1.56 | 1.74 | -10.35% |
| 42 | Iran | 103 | 4.07 | 4.49 | -9.31% |
| 43 | Colombia | 105 | 9.86 | 10.83 | -8.98% |
| 44 | Myanmar | 96 | 7.34 | 8.06 | -8.89% |
| 45 | Lithuania | 92 | 58 | 63.65 | -8.87% |
| 46 | Kenya | 107 | 8.21 | 8.98 | -8.50% |
| 47 | Uganda | 97 | 5.2 | 5.64 | -7.80% |
| 48 | Norway | 78 | 69.38 | 74.91 | -7.38% |
| 49 | France | 106 | 55.01 | 59.32 | -7.26% |
| 50 | Ecuador | 107 | 9.4 | 10.13 | -7.18% |
| 51 | Senegal | 101 | 6.68 | 7.17 | -6.86% |
| 52 | Spain | 98 | 59.03 | 63.24 | -6.67% |
| 53 | Denmark | 109 | 83.92 | 89.57 | -6.30% |
| 54 | Kazakhstan | 104 | 4.75 | 5.07 | -6.21% |
| 55 | Estonia | 75 | 75.36 | 80.15 | -5.97% |
| 56 | Egypt | 98 | 5.02 | 5.33 | -5.96% |
| 57 | Slovenia | 62 | 73.46 | 78.1 | -5.95% |
| 58 | Azerbaijan | 108 | 5.21 | 5.53 | -5.93% |
| 59 | Singapore | 84 | 76.99 | 81.84 | -5.92% |
| 60 | Turkey | 106 | 9.82 | 10.43 | -5.86% |
| 61 | Mozambique | 90 | 3.9 | 4.13 | -5.73% |
| 62 | Tanzania | 35 | 4.85 | 5.14 | -5.65% |
| 63 | South Africa | 104 | 14.85 | 15.71 | -5.48% |
| 64 | Romania | 96 | 83.6 | 88.29 | -5.32% |
| 65 | Ethiopia | 97 | 1.1 | 1.15 | -4.95% |
| 66 | Czech Rep. | 73 | 28.32 | 29.79 | -4.93% |
| 67 | Poland | 107 | 64.3 | 67.55 | -4.80% |
| 68 | Cyprus | 106 | 17.64 | 18.34 | -3.79% |
| 69 | Honduras | 106 | 6.6 | 6.85 | -3.69% |
| 70 | Belgium | 108 | 72.98 | 75.72 | -3.63% |
| 71 | Mexico | 98 | 18.58 | 19.03 | -2.35% |
| 72 | Ireland | 91 | 37.15 | 37.99 | -2.23% |
| 73 | UK | 99 | 40.62 | 41.32 | -1.70% |
| 74 | Portugal | 103 | 41.03 | 41.11 | -0.19% |
| 75 | El Salvador | 106 | 7.01 | 7.01 | -0.01% |
| 76 | Albania | 111 | 13.61 | 13.61 | 0.00% |
| 77 | Qatar | 105 | 28.65 | 28.65 | 0.00% |
| 78 | Puerto Rico | 108 | 60.71 | 60.26 | 0.75% |
| 79 | Costa Rica | 105 | 20.29 | 20.13 | 0.82% |
| 80 | Pakistan | 109 | 2.31 | 2.29 | 0.87% |
| 81 | Serbia | 66 | 27.02 | 26.73 | 1.11% |
| 82 | Brunei | 80 | 10.48 | 10.35 | 1.24% |
| 83 | Bulgaria | 78 | 62.26 | 61.39 | 1.42% |
| 84 | Jordan | 81 | 17.53 | 17.25 | 1.63% |
| 85 | Indonesia | 93 | 7.53 | 7.4 | 1.67% |
| 86 | Uruguay | 103 | 25.47 | 24.88 | 2.37% |
| 87 | Switzerland | 80 | 105.74 | 102.76 | 2.90% |
| 88 | USA | 106 | 82.96 | 80.3 | 3.32% |
| 89 | Brazil | 105 | 18.83 | 18.18 | 3.55% |
| 90 | Thailand | 101 | 36.22 | 34.95 | 3.64% |
| 91 | Slovak Rep. | 87 | 87.01 | 83.87 | 3.74% |
| 92 | Kuwait | 111 | 13.94 | 13.3 | 4.81% |
| 93 | Cambodia | 66 | 6.64 | 6.32 | 5.08% |
| 94 | Germany | 104 | 48.55 | 46.13 | 5.26% |
| 95 | Australia | 99 | 28.45 | 26.99 | 5.38% |
| 96 | Palestine | 117 | 3.57 | 3.38 | 5.56% |
| 97 | Luxembourg | 70 | 121.71 | 115.09 | 5.76% |
| 98 | Croatia | 77 | 45.67 | 43.15 | 5.83% |
| 99 | Greece | 108 | 30.17 | 28.43 | 6.11% |
| 100 | Uzbekistan | 106 | 2.17 | 2.02 | 7.55% |
| 101 | Jamaica | 109 | 25.47 | 23.65 | 7.68% |
| 102 | Lebanon | 106 | 2.66 | 2.46 | 8.20% |
| 103 | Guyana | 94 | 5.85 | 5.39 | 8.51% |
| 104 | Vietnam | 100 | 15.51 | 13.75 | 12.84% |
| 105 | Oman | 105 | 15.62 | 13.82 | 13.05% |
| 106 | Ukraine | 101 | 21.62 | 18.83 | 14.86% |
| 107 | Latvia | 87 | 74.33 | 63.05 | 17.91% |
| 108 | Trinidad & Tob. | 101 | 40.14 | 33.69 | 19.16% |
| 109 | Afghanistan | 98 | 1.73 | 1.4 | 23.95% |
| 110 | Moldova | 111 | 37.88 | 30.17 | 25.54% |
| 111 | Bosnia & Herz. | 105 | 27.94 | 19.22 | 45.33% |
| 112 | Iraq | 126 | 3.93 | 2.06 | 90.98% |
| 113 | Bahrain | 104 | 16.41 | 8.28 | 98.04% |
| 114 | Angola | 95 | 6.54 | 3.01 | 117.19% |
View the full report from Cable.
More rankings and articles can be found in our remote work area:
► Countries with the fastest internet in the world
► Most dangerous countries in the world
► Countries with the best healthcare in the world
► World’s worst countries to drive in
► Most peaceful countries in the world
► Best countries for women
► Poorest countries in the world – ranked
► Happiest countries in the world
► World’s most powerful passport
► Most stressed countries in the world
► Most expensive cities for expats
► World’s most democratic countries
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