Australian Internet Statistics

Australian internet usage statistics for 2023 provide valuable insights into the way Australian’s are searching, consuming, and sharing online.

Looking to jump online and join the rapidly growing number of businesses utilising the internet to reach customers in Australia. Before you jump into the deep end, it’s important to understand the role of the internet and the way that internet usage has grown and evolved in recent years.

Internet usage statistics in 2018, 2019, and 2020 look vastly different. Notwithstanding the global pandemic that has changed how many Australians work and communicate, Australian internet usage is on the rise.

These Australian internet statistics will change how you look at online usage and internet consumption patterns in Australia. This article will look at the most interesting and surprising Australian internet usage stats to understand our obsession with online and how businesses are leveraging this for profit.

Top 10 Internet Usage Statistics in Australia

In 2023, more than 86.5% of Australian’s are online with the average daily usage time exceedingly more than 180-minutes (three hours) each day. Australian internet usage is on the rise in a business landscape that is increasingly governed by online interactions. It is important to note that this article’s access and usage statistics do not fully reflect the changes that occurred during the last 12-months. We expect that usage statistics that incorporate the ongoing global pandemic will increase the numbers represented below.

Here are some of the most significant usage statistics that reflect the way that Australia uses the internet.

  • 86.5% of Australia’s population is online

  • 21.93-million active Australian internet users each month

  • 45.2% of all internet traffic comes from mobile devices

  • Telstra is Australia’s leading ISP with a market share of 6.35-million users

  • The most popular online internet activity is email

  • Australia has one of the fastest mobile internet speeds in the developed world

  • 41% of Australian’s access news from mobile devices

  • There are 15.9-million smart home devices such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, and Apple HomePod installed in Australia

  • Australia has 16.19-million active Facebook users

  • 59% of Australian’s say that social media is the first thing they look at each morning

smart home device statistics in australia

Forecast for Internet Use in Australia

According to the latest data from Statista, the percentage of Australian’s using the internet is 86.5% of a 25.36-million population (latest available data). Therefore, using the latest available population data, we can deduce that 21.93-million Australian’s are using the internet in Australia each month.

• 86.5% of Australian’s access the internet at least once per month
• 21.93-million Australian’s access the internet at least once per month
• Internet use in Australia is expected to pass 90% by 2025

australian internet access statistics

Underdeveloped infrastructure in regional areas and a compromised rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) has impacted the number of Australians currently having access to the internet and skewed the Australian internet statistics. Compared to the United States (87.3% usage rate), Canada (91.5% usage rate), and Great Britain (92.5%), Australia is still a way behind other countries.

The Leading ISP Providers in Australia

Using the latest available data, the following list reflects the top internet service providers in Australia.

1. Telstra (6.35-million users)
2. TPG (1.92-million users)
3. Optus (1.14-million users)
4. Vocus Communications (502,000 users)

Telstra is (by far) the leading internet service provider in Australia, with a market share of more than 6.35-million users across the country. The number of subscribers that Telstra has accumulated over the most recent reporting period has increased, while their overall subscriber base has reduced against other leading ISPs in the same period. That is to say that Telstra’s customer base is growing – but not as fast as their nearest competitors.

most popular ISP provider in Australia

Social Media Internet Usage Statistics in Australia

Australia is amongst the leading consumers of social media in the developed world. The following statistics reveal how many Australian’s are regularly using social media and the impact on the way Australia communicates.

• Australia has 16.19-million active Facebook users
• Australia has 11.36-million active Whatsapp users
• Australia has 10.96-million active Instagram users
• Australia has 3.32-million active Snapchat users

Facebook is the most popular social media platform in Australia, with more than 63% of Australian’s logging onto the platform at least once per month. According to Statista Australian internet statistics, almost 80% of the Australian population were active social media users compared to 58% in 2015.

social media usage statistics in australia

Most popular social media platforms for individuals surveyed:

• 56% of Australian’s say that Facebook is the social media platform that they use most frequently.
• 21% of Australian’s say that Instagram is the social media platform that they use most frequently.
• 6% of Australian’s say that Snapchat is the social media platform that they use most frequently.

Some further social media usage statistics in Australia

• 61% said that they use social media in the evening
• 59% said that social media was the first thing they checked each morning
• 42% log in to social media during work breaks

facebook is the most popular social media platform in australia

Global Internet Usage Statistics

Globally, the internet continues to transform the way individuals communicate in a professional and personal capacity. From shopping to work, and general communication, internet usage and application is continuing to increase at an exponential rate. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the role of the internet in connecting global communities and facilitating domestic and cross-border commerce.

global internet usage statistics

Some of the most interesting global internet usage statistics in 2023 include:

• 51.4% global internet usage rate
• China has the highest number of internet users with 845 million
• English is the most common language online
• 1.18-billion active broadband subscriptions globally
• 25-34-years is the age group with the highest internet usage rate
• 170-minutes is the average time spent online each day per capita
• 145-minutes is the average time spent on social media each day per capita
• Facebook is the most popular social media network globally
• 54.18% of internet use comes from mobile devices globally

Data courtesy of Statista and ABS Australian and Global internet usage statistics published in 2022.

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