Saudi Arabia's internet penetration reaches 99% in 2023: CST

Logo of The Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST)

The Communications, Space, and Technology Commission (CST) released its report on the usage and penetration of internet in Saudi Arabia for 2023.

According to the report, internet penetration in the Kingdom reached nearly 99% by the end of 2023, up from 98.6% a year earlier.

Internet Penetration in the Kingdom
Period	Internet penetration
2019	95.7%
2020	97.8%
2021	98.1%
2022	98.6%
2023	99.0%

The average download speed reached 214.60 megabits (Mbps), compared with 180.20 Mbps in 2022, as follows:

Average Download Speed in Saudi Arabia (Mbps)
Period	Average
2019	50.32
2020	97.54
2021	169.52
2022	180.20
2023	214.60

The average downloading speed (fixed) reached 153.1 Mbps, compared to 107.80 Mbps a year earlier, as follows:

Average Downloading Speed (Mbps)
Period	Average
2019	50.03
2020	76.85
2021	96.36
2022	107.80
2023	153.1

Hail led the way by internet penetration with 99.7%, followed by Riyadh with 99.4%.

Percentage of Internet Penetration by Region
Region	Internet Penetration
Hail	99.7%
Al Jouf	99.7%
Riyadh	99.4%
Northern Borders	99.4%
Eastern Region	99.2%
Jazan	99.1%
Makkah	99.0%
Asir	98.8%
Tabuk	98.7%
Madinah	98.7%
Najran	98.6%
Al Baha	98.3%
Qassim	97.5%

Online user activities were led by the download of programs and applications in Saudi Arabia last year, with about 62.2%. It was followed by buying of goods and services with more than 57%, then the browsing of news and blogs with 55%, as follows:

Online User Activities in Saudi Arabia
Activity	Percentage to Total
Download of programs and apps	62.2%
Buying of goods and services	57.1%
Browsing of news and blogs	54.8%
Download of videogames, movies and pictures	53.8%
Searching for information on goods and services	45.1%
Obtaining information from government agencies	35.2%
Searching for medical information	32.9%
Sending and receiving emails	30.9%
Travel services	19.5%
Online schooling	15.5%

Online buying through local and global shopping websites reached 93.8% and 51%, respectively.

Apparel and footwear was the most purchased product online, accounting for nearly 85%, as follows:

Most Purchased Products Online
Goods	Percentage
Apparel and Footwear	85.1%
Cosmetics	44.6%
Travel	39.1%
Consumer Electronics	34.6%
Groceries	29.2%

Google was the most-visited website in the Kingdom, followed by YouTube and X, as follows:

Most-Visited Websites in Saudi Arabia
Ranking	Websites
01	Google
02	YouTube
03	X
04	Facebook
05	TikTok
06	Instagram
07	Wikipedia
08	WhatsApp
09	Amazon
10	Madrasati

Moreover, WhatsApp led the most used applications in the Kingdom, followed by snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok, as follows:

Most-Used App in Saudi Arabia
Ranking	App
01	WhatsApp
02	snapchat
03	YouTube
04	TikTok
05	Twitter
06	Instagram
07	Telegram
08	Facebook
09	Imo
10	Facebook Messenger
11	LinkedIn
12	Line

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