Nigeria, with a mean download speed of 27.62 Mbps, ranks 132nd globally on the internet speed ranking, according a study by price comparison site, cable.co.uk.
The study was based on an extensive analysis of around 1.5 billion broadband speed tests conducted worldwide that provided key insights into global internet speeds.
Authors of the cable.co.uk report say that it highlights the variations in internet performance across different regions, with Iceland topping the global ranking.
Nigeria’s Position
In Nigeria, the mean download speed of 27.62 Mbps translates to approximately 24 minutes and 42 seconds to download a 5GB movie. Despite its global ranking, Nigeria shows competitive performance within sub-Saharan Africa.
Sub-Saharan Africa Rankings
In sub-Saharan Africa, Réunion leads with an average internet speed of 63.29 Mbps, followed by South Africa at 42.42 Mbps, Eswatini at 37.23 Mbps, Rwanda at 34.79 Mbps, Mauritius at 32.06 Mbps, and Botswana at 29.23 Mbps. Nigeria’s position highlights its efforts to enhance internet infrastructure and connectivity within the region.
The report authors say that, “50 countries were measured in second-slowest region Sub-Saharan Africa, which averaged a download speed of 14.99Mbps overall. All but two of the countries found themselves in the slowest half of the league table. Going against the trend somewhat were Réunion (63.29Mbps, 75th), South Africa (45.42Mbps, 114th), and Eswatini (37.23Mbps, 120th). Meanwhile, Sudan (4.02Mbps, 223rd), Central African Republic
(4.08Mbps, 222nd), and Ethiopia (4.45Mbps, 221st) all fell among the slowest ten countries in the world for average network speed”.
Africa’s Overall Performance
The average internet speed in Africa is 14.99 Mbps, making it the region with the second-lowest internet speed globally. Despite this, some countries like Réunion and South Africa show promising speeds that exceed the regional average significantly.
Global and Regional Comparisons
The study reveals that 31 of the top 50 fastest-performing countries are in Europe, with six in Asia, three in the Caribbean, three in South America, three in North America, three in the Near East, and one in Oceania. In contrast, 30 of the 50 slowest-performing countries are in Sub-Saharan or Northern Africa.
Among these slow-performing countries, Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Ethiopia are among the ten slowest worldwide, with average speeds of 4.02 Mbps, 4.08 Mbps, and 4.45 Mbps respectively.
Iceland’s Leading Position
According to the report, Iceland boasts the fastest broadband in the world, showcasing its advanced internet infrastructure and high-speed connectivity. This places it at the top of the global rankings, setting a benchmark for other countries.
Improvement in Global Speeds
Despite the disparities, the report highlights that there have been significant improvements globally. The number of countries failing to achieve average speeds of 10 Mbps or greater has decreased from 94 in 2021 to 35 in 2024. This indicates ongoing improvements in internet speeds across many parts of the world.
Highlights from Other Regions
Asia: Macau (234.74 Mbps), South Korea (172.53 Mbps), and Japan (139.53 Mbps) are the fastest in Asia, while the British Indian Ocean Territory (2.38 Mbps) and Afghanistan (3.11 Mbps) are the slowest.
Baltics: Estonia, Lithuania, and Latvia all rank within the top 50, with Estonia leading at 113.10 Mbps.
Northern Africa: Morocco (19.61 Mbps) is the fastest, while Libya (8.37 Mbps) is the slowest in the region.