100%
Internet penetration in United Arab Emirates in 2024, the latest available observation in this series.
Internet penetration history · ARE
United Arab Emirates internet penetration over time
The latest verified observation is 100% in 2024. The available series begins at 0% in 1990, a net change of 100 percentage points.
31 VERIFIED OBSERVATIONS · ITU VIA WDIQuick answers
+100 pp
Change between the first available observation in 1990 and the latest in 2024.
+0.9 pp
From 2019 to 2024, the observed rate changed by 0.9 percentage points, from 99.1% to 100%.
The first observation at or above 50% is 2006 (52%). The first observation at or above 75% is 2011 (78%).
Historical trend
Each point is an official observation returned by World Bank WDI for IT.NET.USER.ZS. Lines connect observed points for readability; they do not create data for missing years.
Year-by-year internet penetration
| Year | Internet users |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 100% |
| 2023 | 100% |
| 2022 | 100% |
| 2021 | 100% |
| 2020 | 100% |
| 2019 | 99.1% |
| 2018 | 98.5% |
| 2017 | 94.8% |
| 2016 | 90.6% |
| 2015 | 90.5% |
| 2014 | 90.4% |
| 2013 | 88% |
| 2012 | 85% |
| 2011 | 78% |
| 2010 | 68% |
| 2009 | 64% |
| 2008 | 63% |
| 2007 | 61% |
| 2006 | 52% |
| 2005 | 40% |
| 2004 | 30.1% |
| 2003 | 29.5% |
| 2002 | 28.3% |
| 2001 | 26.3% |
| 2000 | 23.6% |
| 1999 | 14.9% |
| 1998 | 6.9% |
| 1997 | 3.3% |
| 1996 | 0.4% |
| 1995 | 0.1% |
| 1990 | 0% |
Download historical JSON → · Download historical CSV → · Compare countries →
What this measure means
On World Discovery, “internet penetration rate” and “internet users” both refer to the share of individuals who used the internet, matching World Development Indicators code IT.NET.USER.ZS. It is a population-use measure; it is not the same as fixed-broadband subscriptions, mobile subscriptions, connection speed or household access.
Compare internet users by country and year → · Explore the 2024 internet-use ranking →
Internet penetration here means individuals using the internet (% of population). It is reported as % of population. The indicator definition is: Individuals who have used the Internet from any location in the last 3 months.
This series is useful for questions such as “How has internet access changed in United Arab Emirates?” and “What is United Arab Emirates’s latest internet penetration rate?” It does not estimate people missing from the official observations.
Compare United Arab Emirates with similar regional rates
These Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan countries have the closest latest observed internet-penetration rates in the same verified history dataset. The links are based on data proximity, not a claim of social or economic similarity.
Bahrain
100% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia
100% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with United Arab Emirates.
Kuwait
99.7% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with United Arab Emirates.
Qatar
98.1% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with United Arab Emirates.
United Arab Emirates in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Among the 20 countries from Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan present in this verified 2024 dataset, United Arab Emirates ranks 1st. Its 100% observation is 13.2 percentage points above the regional median of 86.8%. This comparison only describes countries present in this same-year dataset.
Closest same-region observations: Bahrain (100%) · Saudi Arabia (100%) · Kuwait (99.8%).
Source and methodology
Indicator: IT.NET.USER.ZS — Individuals using the Internet (% of population).
Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database, surfaced through World Bank World Development Indicators (WDI), Indicators API v2. License: CC BY-4.0.
Values are kept at their official observation years. Missing years are not backfilled, averaged or interpolated. This page is a historical observation series, not a revision comparison.
Keep exploring
Countries to compare with United Arab Emirates
Move through the 2024 ranking or compare United Arab Emirates with nearby values in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia
100% in 2024 · 0 percentage points the same than United Arab Emirates.
Denmark
99.8% in 2024 · 0.2 percentage points lower than United Arab Emirates.
Bahrain
100% in 2024 · 0 percentage points the same than United Arab Emirates.
Saudi Arabia
100% in 2024 · 0 percentage points the same than United Arab Emirates.
Explore Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan → · Compare all 182 countries →