What Percentage of Internet Traffic is Mobile? [Updated 2025]

Smartphones have become a ubiquitous part of modern life. Everyone has the ability to go online from anywhere, just by reaching into their pocket.

So how has that affected internet usage habits? And what percentage of internet traffic comes on mobile devices today?

If you’re running a business, and need to know where to best focus your efforts to reach the most possible users, pay close attention. If you’re just interested in the state of mobile vs desktop today - keep reading too, as you’re about to get the latest data on the browsing habits of today's internet users.

Further Reading: See what the data says about Mobile Apps and Mobile Websites, and why one has a 90% share of mobile users' attention.

Internet Usage on Mobile vs Desktop (Latest Stats)

Since 2016, global internet traffic on mobile devices has eclipsed that of desktop computers. The majority of us today prefer the convenience of mobile, being able to go online wherever we are, much quicker than we could by firing up our PC or laptop.

What Percentage of Internet Traffic Comes on Mobile Devices?

Mobile makes up 62.45% of global internet traffic.

Desktop, in comparison, has a 35.71% share of the total web traffic. The remainder comes on tablet, with 1.84% of total online traffic.

Mobile Internet Traffic Trends

Let’s see how the share of mobile users vs desktop has changed over the last decade.

Back in 2013, mobile internet users made up 16.24% market share, compared to 79.18% for desktop. A decade ago, desktop was still clearly ahead, with just under 60% of the global internet traffic mobile share.

Mobile first passed desktop late 2016. In 2018, mobile held 50.88% of website traffic market share, desktop 45.11%, and tablet 4.02%.

Here’s how the data looks year-by-year.

2015: Desktop: 59.17% - Mobile: 35.1% - Tablet: 5.73%

2016: Desktop: 51.37% - Mobile: 43.59% - Tablet: 5.04%

2017: Desktop: 43.75% - Mobile: 51.56% - Tablet: 4.69%

2018: Desktop: 45.11% - Mobile: 50.88% - Tablet: 4.02%

2019: Desktop: 46.04% - Mobile: 50.39% - Tablet: 3.57%

2020: Desktop: 45.64% - Mobile: 51.61% - Tablet: 2.75%

2021: Desktop: 42.31% - Mobile: 55.01% - Tablet: 2.69%

2022: Desktop: 39.43% - Mobile: 58.32% - Tablet: 2.25%

2023: Desktop: 42.88% - Mobile: 55.19% - Tablet: 1.94%

2024: Desktop: 39.41% - Mobile: 58.54% - Tablet: 2.05%

2025: Desktop: 35.71% - Mobile: 62.45% - Tablet: 1.84%

Mobile Internet Usage By Region

Now let’s look at how mobile usage differs in various parts of the world. We’ll look at mobile internet traffic in the US, each continent, as well as a range of notable countries worldwide.

Mobile Internet Traffic in the US

In the United States of America, mobile makes up 47.3% of total web traffic.

Desktop is still slightly ahead, with 50.2% of all internet traffic, with tablet taking 2.5%.

Trends: Tablet, Mobile and Desktop Usage in the US

2015: Desktop: 64.67% - Mobile: 26.44% - Tablet: 8.89%

2016: Desktop: 60.61% - Mobile: 30.94% - Tablet: 8.44%

2017: Desktop: 51.1% - Mobile: 40.09% - Tablet: 8.8%

2018: Desktop: 51.2% - Mobile: 40.82% - Tablet: 7.97%

2019: Desktop: 48.45% - Mobile: 44.47% - Tablet: 7.08%

2020: Desktop: 47.84% - Mobile: 47.82% - Tablet: 4.34%

2021: Desktop: 48.88% - Mobile: 47.57% - Tablet: 3.56%

2022: Desktop: 46.43% - Mobile: 50.52% - Tablet: 3.05%

2023: Desktop: 62.21% - Mobile: 35.73% - Tablet: 2.07%

2024: Desktop: 54.25% - Mobile: 43.09% - Tablet: 2.66%

2025: Desktop: 50.2% - Mobile: 47.3% - Tablet: 2.5%

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Mobile Traffic by Continent

Here's how the share of internet users on mobile phones breaks down in each continent:

Internet Traffic Market Share in Africa:
22.8% Desktop - 76.1% Mobile - 1% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Asia:
27.2% Desktop - 71.2% Mobile - 1.5% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Europe:
44.9% Desktop - 52.8% Mobile - 2.3% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in North America:
46.9% Desktop - 50.7% Mobile - 2.4% Tablet

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Internet Traffic Market Share in Oceania:
46.3% Desktop - 50.3% Mobile - 3.4% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in South America:
37.6% Desktop - 61.7% Mobile - 0.8% Tablet

Mobile vs Desktop Market Share by Country

Now let's take a look at some notable countries and what percentage of internet traffic comes on mobile devices.

Internet Traffic Market Share in the US:
50.2% Desktop - 47.3% Mobile - 2.5% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in the UK:
40.6% Desktop - 54.7% Mobile - 4.6% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Australia:
48% Desktop - 48.5% Mobile - 3.6% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Brazil:
35.8% Desktop - 63.5% Mobile - 0.7% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Canada:
49.2% Desktop - 47.2% Mobile - 3.6% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in China:
30.3% Desktop - 68.2% Mobile - 1.5% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in France:
35.1% Desktop - 62.7% Mobile - 2.2% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Germany:
55.6% Desktop - 42.4% Mobile - 2% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in India:
19.5% Desktop - 79.9% Mobile - 0.6% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Japan:
52.4% Desktop - 45.2% Mobile - 2.4% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Nigeria:
16.1% Desktop - 83.5% Mobile - 0.4% Tablet

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Internet Traffic Market Share in Singapore:
37.6% Desktop - 61.2% Mobile - 1.2% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in Egypt:
22% Desktop - 74.8% Mobile - 3.2% Tablet

Internet Traffic Market Share in the UAE:
21% Desktop - 78.2% Mobile - 0.8% Tablet

[Mobile internet market share data sourced from Statcounter]

Mobile vs Desktop Traffic By Location: Key Takeaways

Here are some key takeaways from the browsing habits of different locations across the globe.

• Developing countries tend to have a higher percentage of mobile users, while Western countries (i.e. those in North America, Europe and Oceania), tend to have more desktop users.
• Mobile currently holds the majority (>50%) of internet traffic market share in every continent.
• Africa is the top continent for mobile internet usage, while Oceania is the lowest.
• Singapore and India are among the most prominent major countries for mobile web usage, and both have been relatively steady in this statistic since 2018.
• The highest country for mobile traffic market share overall is Sudan, with 89.56%.
• Japan, Canada, Germany and the US are a few of the most notable countries to favor desktop over mobile, while mobile internet traffic market share in Australia recently passed desktop.

Key Statistics on Mobile Web Usage

Let's finish up with some general statistics on the state of mobile vs desktop web traffic today.

• 64.4% of people worldwide can access the internet via a mobile phone (via Statista).
• Ireland, Norway, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are the top countries in the world for mobile internet penetration, with a 99% penetration rate in each.
• Mobile internet penetration in the US is 91.8%, 97.8% in the UK, 96.9% in Singapore.
• The average download speed for mobile data worldwide is 41.54 Mbps (via Speedtest).
• The countries with the fastest mobile internet are the UAE (178.25 Mbps average), Qatar (174.56 Mbps) and Norway (143.55 Mbps).
• The countries with the slowest are Cuba (3.44 Mbps), Afghanistan (4.14 Mbps) and Venezuela (6.59 Mbps).
• 63% of search traffic in the US comes on mobile devices (via Statista).
• 15% of adults in the US only ever access the internet via mobile phones, and do not have access to regular home broadband internet (via Pew Research).

Now let’s examine some key statistics on how people use the internet on mobile devices.

Do more people use mobile apps or mobile browsers? How much time do we spend using apps? Which countries use apps the most?

Here are some interesting data points:

• Chrome has 64.86% of the mobile browser market share, followed by Safari (24.86%), then Samsung Internet (4.49%).
• We spend nearly 90% of our time on mobile devices using apps.
• Average time spent in apps increased up to 50% in some areas between 2020-2022.
• Indonesia, Singapore and Australia rank among the highest countries in app usage, with over 5 hours spent in apps per day.
• More than 100 billion hours are spent each year using shopping apps.
• Apps, on average, have a 157% higher conversion rate than mobile sites.

Check out more data and insights on mobile apps vs mobile websites here.

Final Thoughts

Data shows us that the rate of mobile vs desktop internet usage has exploded in the last 10 years. There are more smartphone users than ever, there are mobile friendly websites, and you can do almost everything you can on desktop devices with a mobile phone.

In many areas, mobile is now the preferred way for people to go online. In others, such as the US and UK, mobile market share almost equal or slightly behind desktop.

All the data indicates that global mobile vs desktop internet usage statistics should only increase as years go on, mobile internet becomes faster and more dependable, and mobile devices become more powerful and sophisticated.

If you’re running a business with an online presence, there are clear benefits to launching your own app, to better cater to mobile internet users.

While it can take hundreds of thousands of dollars to create a native mobile app, MobiLoud will convert your existing website into Android and iOS apps in weeks, for a tiny fraction of what you’d pay app developers.

This lets your business take a seat on the mobile internet bandwagon, and grow your mobile revenue.

Our App Revenue Calculator shows you just how much your brand can stand to gain from launching an app.

When you're ready to learn more, get on a call with one of our app experts to discuss how MobiLoud can help you build mobile apps for your business.