54.6%
Internet penetration in Sri Lanka in 2024, the latest available observation in this series.
Internet penetration history · LKA
Sri Lanka internet penetration over time
The latest verified observation is 54.6% in 2024. The available series begins at 0% in 1990, a net change of 54.6 percentage points.
32 VERIFIED OBSERVATIONS · ITU VIA WDIQuick answers
+54.6 pp
Change between the first available observation in 1990 and the latest in 2024.
+22.6 pp
From 2019 to 2024, the observed rate changed by 22.6 percentage points, from 32% to 54.6%.
The first observation at or above 50% is 2023 (51.2%). The available observations never reach 75%.
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 | 54.6% |
| 2023 | 51.2% |
| 2022 | 48.3% |
| 2021 | 44.5% |
| 2020 | 36.2% |
| 2019 | 32% |
| 2018 | 28.3% |
| 2017 | 25.1% |
| 2016 | 22.2% |
| 2015 | 15.3% |
| 2014 | 10.5% |
| 2013 | 10% |
| 2012 | 9% |
| 2011 | 8% |
| 2010 | 6.9% |
| 2009 | 5.9% |
| 2008 | 4.8% |
| 2007 | 3.9% |
| 2006 | 2.5% |
| 2005 | 1.8% |
| 2004 | 1.4% |
| 2003 | 1.5% |
| 2002 | 1.1% |
| 2001 | 0.8% |
| 2000 | 0.6% |
| 1999 | 0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.3% |
| 1997 | 0.2% |
| 1996 | 0.1% |
| 1995 | 0% |
| 1994 | 0% |
| 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 Sri Lanka?” and “What is Sri Lanka’s latest internet penetration rate?” It does not estimate people missing from the official observations.
Compare Sri Lanka with similar regional rates
These South Asia 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.
Bangladesh
53.4% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Sri Lanka.
Nepal
46.3% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Sri Lanka.
India
64.9% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Sri Lanka.
Maldives
85.2% in 2024. Compare its verified historical internet-penetration series with Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka in South Asia
Among the 6 countries from South Asia present in this verified 2024 dataset, Sri Lanka ranks 4th. Its 54.6% observation is 5.2 percentage points below the regional median of 59.8%. This comparison only describes countries present in this same-year dataset.
Closest same-region observations: Bangladesh (53.4%) · Nepal (46.3%) · India (64.9%).
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 Sri Lanka
Move through the 2024 ranking or compare Sri Lanka with nearby values in South Asia.
Tajikistan
55.8% in 2024 · 1.2 percentage points higher than Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh
53.4% in 2024 · 1.2 percentage points lower than Sri Lanka.
Bangladesh
53.4% in 2024 · 1.2 percentage points lower than Sri Lanka.
Nepal
46.3% in 2024 · 8.3 percentage points lower than Sri Lanka.