Broadband Speed League 2024: Global Internet Speeds, Digital Leaders and Laggards

As the world becomes more digitized and reliant on remote services, access to high-speed internet is becoming a critical indicator of economic and social progress. The Worldwide Broadband Speed League 2024 highlights which countries lead in internet performance — and which still lag behind.

Over 1.5 billion speed tests were conducted in 229 countries in the 12 months ending June 30, 2024. The global average download speed reached 55.58 Mbps, marking steady growth compared to previous years.

Digital Champions: Iceland, Jersey, Macau

Iceland topped the ranking with an average speed of 279.55 Mbps, thanks to government-led digital transformation and telecom infrastructure covering even remote areas.

Jersey came second with 273.51 Mbps, becoming the first region in the world with full FTTP (fiber to the premises) coverage. Local provider Jersey Telecom offers up to 944 Mbps, positioning the island as a global telecom leader.

Macau retained third place at 234.74 Mbps, reflecting the maturity and consistency of its digital infrastructure.

Other top performers include Liechtenstein, Denmark, Andorra, the Netherlands, France, and Monaco — all investing heavily in smart city tech and connectivity.

Solid Speeds in Developed Nations

South Korea, the USA, Switzerland, Sweden, Israel, Canada, Spain, and Slovakia ranked within the top 20. Their consistent investment in fiber and next-gen networks has paid off in both speed and resilience.

The Global Laggards

At the bottom of the list were:

British Indian Ocean Territory – 2.38 Mbps

Turkmenistan – 2.72 Mbps

Syria – 2.80 Mbps

Yemen – 2.99 Mbps

Tajikistan – 3.10 Mbps

These countries often face structural digital challenges, lack of investment, and in some cases, post-conflict recovery or international isolation.

Regional Trends & Disparities

Western Europe leads with a 141.12 Mbps average.

Baltic States (106.45 Mbps) and North America (104.18 Mbps) follow.

Asia (excluding the Middle East): 57.24 Mbps.

Macau, South Korea (172.53 Mbps), and Japan (139.53 Mbps) lead.

Indonesia, the Philippines, and India face rural connectivity challenges.

Africa remains the slowest continent — North Africa averaged just 12.52 Mbps.

CIS: Mixed Progress

The CIS region averaged 22.70 Mbps:

Russia: 67.43 Mbps (rank 68)

Belarus: 45.81 Mbps (rank 106)

Armenia: 26.78 Mbps (rank 135)

Georgia: 20.83 Mbps (rank 146)

In contrast, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, and Kyrgyzstan lagged far behind.

Why Speed Matters

From remote work to digital governance, speed = efficiency:

Downloading a 5GB movie in Iceland: ~2 min 26 sec

In Tajikistan: ~5 hours 30 minutes

Fast internet is a basic utility in the digital age — essential for education, productivity, innovation, and attracting investment.