Fastest Internet Speed in the World

Since it first became available to the public in 1993, the internet has shaped the modern world. It’s dramatically changed how we access information and communicate with each other.

Countries with the fastest internet speeds are those with the most up-to-date infrastructure and are able to offer their residents the best access to this invaluable resource. In this post, we’ll look at the countries with the fastest internet in the world, starting with an interactive map.

Interactive World Map with Internet Speed

List of Fastest Internet (Broadband) by Country

RankChangeCountrySpeed
1Singapore242.01
21Chile222.49
3-1United Arab Emirates216.78
4China215.8
54Hong Kong (SAR)205.19
6Thailand204.26
71United States202.4
8-3Denmark199.94
92Spain175.96
10Romania174.26
11-4Monaco173.45
121Switzerland169.24
13-1France169.2
14Macau (SAR)156.13
151Japan150.62
16-1Canada146.07
17New Zealand145
181Kuwait142.07
191Liechtenstein135.97
20-2Hungary132.61
212Israel132.19
22-1Portugal129.8
23-1Netherlands128.79
24Taiwan126.04
252Panama123.65
266Andorra123.51
27-2South Korea114.69
28-2Uruguay113.48
29Sweden113.09
30-2Norway111.51
31-1Poland107.26
32-1Brazil106.7
33Moldova104.75
342Finland96.46
35-1Luxembourg95.81
367Saudi Arabia94.35
37-2Malta94.32
38-1Malaysia94.22
39-1Lithuania93.88
40-1Colombia93.78
41-1Vietnam92.51
42-1Philippines92.09
43-1Qatar91.67
44Trinidad and Tobago90.79
454Saint Lucia90.46
46-1Belgium89.26
471Jordan88.43
484Barbados86.35
49-3Slovenia85.79
50Ireland84.22
51Germany83.94
52-5Dominica82.85
534United Kingdom81.18
54Peru79.9
55Russia79.44
568Grenada78.59
57-4Latvia77.84
581Saint Vincent and the Grenadines76.84
59-3Austria76.64
60-2Paraguay74.86
614San Marino69.51
62Costa Rica69.44
63-2Estonia69.28
64-4Bulgaria68.66
651Slovakia67.84
66-3Serbia64.9
67Italy63.74
68Ukraine63.6
695Argentina61.19
702Czechia60.46
71-2Oman60.29
721Kosovo59.29
73-3Montenegro58.91
7414Bahrain58.64
75Mongolia56.77
765Jamaica55.03
772Ecuador54.75
785Guyana54.41
79-1Australia52.98
80-9Palestine52.77
81-1Nepal51.92
82-5Belarus51.27
831India51.12
84-2Kyrgyzstan50.95
859The Bahamas50.84
86-10Cyprus50.71
87-2Mexico50.58
881Nicaragua48.62
892Uzbekistan47.84
90-3Brunei47.3
91-1Egypt46.91
92-6Croatia46.82
93-1Albania46.02
948Saint Kitts and Nevis45.88
95-2Greece44.25
96-1Burkina Faso43.99
97-1South Africa42.15
982Belize42.12
99-2Congo41.87
100-1Armenia41.57
101-3Kazakhstan40.73
1024Gabon40.66
103-2Côte d’Ivoire40.48
1044Guatemala38.68
105-2North Macedonia36.87
106-1El Salvador36.43
107-3Bangladesh35.96
1081Honduras34.26
1091Turkey34.04
1101Antigua and Barbuda33.42
111-4Ghana32.76
1121Rwanda31.99
113-1Laos30.29
114Bolivia30.02
115Mauritius29.48
1162Azerbaijan28.83
1172Iraq27.98
118-2Togo27.03
119-2Bosnia and Herzegovina26.04
1201Georgia25.4
121-1Indonesia24.78
1222Madagascar24.12
1232Venezuela23.32
1247Western Sahara21.8
1255Cambodia21.63
1269Haiti21.39
1272Dominican Republic20.67
1284Mauritania20.66
129-2Morocco20.52
130-8Tajikistan20.51
131-3Sri Lanka20.49
132-6Senegal20.29
133-10Mali19.78
1342Lesotho19.07
135-2Seychelles18.89
136-2Myanmar (Burma)18.34
1371Benin17.06
1381Cape Verde16.77
1394Nigeria15.88
1401Papua New Guinea15.32
1413Sierra Leone15.28
142-2Fiji14.8
1432Tanzania14.04
144-2Angola13.43
1451Iran11.97
1465Uganda11.32
1472Algeria11.3
148-11Bhutan11.26
1491Pakistan11.22
150-3Suriname11.09
1512Guinea10.44
1527Malawi9.72
153-1Maldives9.67
1542Namibia9.57
155-1DR Congo9.56
156-1Kenya9.47
157Libya8.93
1583Cameroon8.84
1591Tunisia8.59
1605Somalia8.18
1612Lebanon7.8
1622Zimbabwe7.76
163-15Vanuatu7.37
164-6Zambia7.36
165-3Ethiopia7.2
1662Djibouti6.78
167Botswana6.5
1681Mozambique6.48
169-3Liberia5.92
1701Swaziland5.84
1711Sudan5.44
1721Niger5.36
173-3The Gambia5.34
174Burundi5.17
175East Timor4.62
176Yemen4.29
1771Turkmenistan4.03
178-1Syria3.93
179Afghanistan2.31
180Cuba1.97
Median Country Speeds April 2023. Source: Speedtest Global Index.

The countries missing from the ranking as there is no data available are: Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Holy See (Vatican City), Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu.

20. Hungary

April 2023 median download speed: 132.61 Mbps

Coming in at number 20 on our list of countries with the fastest internet speeds in the world, Hungary enjoys one of the fastest download speeds in Europe. After Romania, it has the fastest internet speeds of any country in Central Europe. 

The internet in Hungary is not only fast, it is also widely accessible. The widespread availability of fiber-optic networks off access to blazing-fast internet for Hungarians across the country. 

Hungary ranks highly for its fixed broadband speeds, but it doesn’t rank as highly for its mobile speeds. Its mobile internet speeds ranked at number 50 worldwide in April 2023. 

19. Liechtenstein

April 2023 median download speed: 135.97 Mbps

Not everyone can point to Liechtenstein on a map, but it’s got one of the fastest internet speeds in the world. The country has succeeded in providing fast internet for its residents by investing in fiber-optic networks and increasing access to the internet in rural areas.

This small, landlocked country in Europe is utilizing tax incentives for foreign businesses in tandem with its high internet speeds to become an international business hub. 

Telecom Liechtenstein is the largest network provider in the country, followed by Hoi Internet and SupraNet.

18. Kuwait

April 2023 median download speed: 142.07 Mbps

Internet speeds in Kuwait just keep getting faster. Interestingly, the majority of internet access in Kuwait happens through the use of mobile devices instead of direct broadband connections. The country ranked in the global top 4 for mobile internet speeds in April 2023. 

Kuwait was one of the pioneering countries in using 5G networks, which has helped the country achieve wider socio-economic goals. The mobile operator with the fastest speeds in Kuwait is Ooredoo Kuwait, and the largest is Zain Kuwait. STC is another major mobile provider.

17. New Zealand

April 2023 median download speed: 145 Mbps

With a median fixed broadband speed of 145 Mbps, New Zealand was the country with the 17th fastest internet in April 2023. 5G networks are available in New Zealand, and Vodafone was the operator with the highest download speeds in 2022

The government has made the accessibility of fast internet speeds a priority. The country’s Ultra-Fast Broadband program received $1.8 billion in infrastructure investments with the aim of providing 87% of New Zealanders with access to fiber-optic internet by the end of 2022. 

16. Canada

April 2023 median download speed: 146.07 Mbps

Canada is one of the North American countries with the fastest internet speed in the world. It’s also one of the world’s largest countries, which means that internet speeds can vary across the country. Urban centers like Vancouver and Toronto are more likely to have easy access to both wired and mobile networks, while connectivity in rural areas is more limited.

Since 2015, the Canadian government has invested more than $7.6 billion since 2015 in an effort to provide fast internet speeds to all Canadians. The government’s target is to provide 100% of Canadians with fast internet access by 2030. 

15. Japan

April 2023 median download speed: 150.62 Mbps

Japan comes in at number 15 on this list of countries with the fastest internet in the world. Its speeds are the third-fastest in East Asia as of April 2023. Fixed broadband speeds are significantly faster than mobile speeds in Japan. The country ranks number 54 in the world in terms of mobile download speeds. 

Although the technology isn’t yet available to consumers, and probably won’t be any time soon, Japan broke the world record for the fastest internet speed in 2021. The experimental technique recorded speeds of up to 319 terabits per second, or 7.6 million times faster than the average home internet speed in the United States.

14. Macau SAR

April 2023 median download speed: 156.13 Mbps

Macau isn’t officially an independent country; it’s a special autonomous region (SAR) of China, and it’s got one of the fastest internet speeds in the world. The median speed of fixed broadband connections in Macau stayed fairly consistent from April 2022 to April 2023, but mobile download speeds skyrocketed in April 2023, ranking number three in the world for mobile speeds. 

The only internet service provider in Macau is Macao Telecommunications Company (CTM), which launched broadband internet access in Macau in 2000. 

13. France

April 2023 median download speed: 169.2 Mbps

France is among the countries with the fastest internet in Western Europe, and it had the 12th fastest internet in the world in April 2023. Although France does have very fast internet speeds in some locations throughout the country, it’s still in the process of making fast internet more widely available.

France Très Haut Débit is a French program aimed at improving high-speed internet access to the country’s residents. It aims to provide all internet subscribers with fiber-optic internet by 2025.

12. Switzerland

April 2023 median download speed: 169.24 Mbps

Switzerland had the 12th-fastest internet in the world during April 2023. Mobile download speeds in the country are also among the fastest, ranking 16th-fastest in the world. Some of the biggest internet service providers in Switzerland are Sunrise, Yallo, UPC, Salt, and Swisscom.

As is the case in many countries, the government in Switzerland is pushing for faster internet speeds for its citizens. With an increase in homeschooling and working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, the government proposed increasing the minimum internet speed to 80 Mbps.

11. Monaco

April 2023 median download speed: 173.45 Mbps

It may be one of the smallest countries in the world, but its internet speeds are mighty. Over the 12 months before April 2023, its median download speed peaked in February when it ranked as the country with the third-fastest internet in the world. Speeds slowed slightly in the following months, ranking the country at number 11 in April.

Fast internet connectivity has been a priority for the government in Monaco, and it became one of the first countries to have full 5G coverage in 2019. The Monaco Broadband Network (MBN) offers a fast fiber-optic network for fixed broadband connections.

10. Romania

April 2023 median download speed: 174.26 Mbps

Romania has a reputation for fast internet speeds, and for good reason. With a median download speed of 174.26 Mbps for the month of April, it has the tenth fastest internet in the world. It has routinely ranked in the top ten for internet speeds over the past decade.

Not only is the internet in Romania very fast, it’s also affordable. The country owes its fast and affordable internet to government initiatives, a competitive marketplace, and the widespread adoption of fiber-optic cables. Fixed broadband connections are significantly faster than mobile connections in Romania.

9. Spain

April 2023 median download speed: 175.96 Mbps

Internet speeds in Spain are fast, and they’re only getting faster. The country has historically had trouble supplying more rural areas with high-speed internet connections, but there are initiatives in place to change this. 

In 2021, 85% of rural areas in Spain had access to internet speeds at or above 100 Mbps. The Spain Digital 2025 Agenda aims to provide the entire population with fast internet speeds by 2025 and to prepare the country for 5G networks.

8. Denmark

April 2023 median download speed: 199.94 Mbps

With a median download speed of nearly 200 Mbps, Denmark has the eighth-fastest internet in the world. This is a high ranking for its fixed broadband speeds, but its mobile speeds rank even higher at number six in the world.

One of the largest mobile internet providers in Denmark is TDC NET, which provides 5G coverage to 99% of the country. As of 2022, Denmark had the widest 5G availability of any Nordic country.

7. United States

April 2023 median download speed: 202.4 Mbps

The United States is the first country on this list to have a median download speed of more than 200 Mbps, and it ranks at number seven. In 2023, almost 92% of the population in the US uses the internet. Some of the biggest internet providers in the country are Comcast, Charter Communications, and AT&T.

Providing access to high-speed internet is one of the aims of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. As part of this agenda, the US Department of the Treasury has approved $115.5 million for high-speed internet projects in Hawaii.

6. Thailand

April 2023 median download speed: 204.26 Mbps

After Singapore, internet speeds in Thailand have consistently been the fastest in Southeast Asia. The Internet first reached the country in 1996, and accessibility has been growing ever since. Almost 80% of Thailand’s population used the internet in 2022

Mobile speeds in Thailand aren’t as fast as fixed broadband connections, but efforts to expand 5G networks in the country are ongoing. Major improvements were made to 5G accessibility throughout the country in 2022.

5. Hong Kong SAR

April 2023 median download speed: 205.19 Mbps

Along with Macau, Hong Kong is the second special autonomous region of China to make the list of countries with the fastest internet in the world. With similar statistics to the US, around 93% of Hong Kong’s population had access to the internet at the beginning of 2023. 

Broad internet censorship has long been a reality in China, but Hong Kong generally hasn’t been subject to the same restrictions. There have been, however, some incidents in which mainland Chinese censorship makes its way to Hong Kong.

4. China

April 2023 median download speed: 215.8 Mbps

China ranks in the top ten for both fixed broadband and mobile internet speeds. It’s also notable for having the largest number of internet users in the world, with 1.05 billion users in 2023. Although China already boasts median mobile download speeds of 110 Mbps, it tested ultra-fast 6G technology in April 2023 that can provide speeds up to an incredible 300 Gbps.

The censorship of the internet in China dates back to the year 2000. Colloquially known as the “Great Firewall,” the restriction to internet access in China is one of the reasons it’s among the most censored countries in the world.

3. United Arab Emirates

April 2023 median download speed: 216.78 Mbps

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is located in the Middle East and has the third-fastest internet in the world. With 9.38 million internet users in the country at the beginning of 2023, more than 99% of the UAE has access to the internet.

Mobile internet speeds in the UAE are also very fast, ranking at number two. The major internet providers in the country are Etisalat and Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company, known as “du.” Both of these providers offer 5G connectivity across the country.

2. Chile

April 2023 median download speed: 222.49 Mbps

Chile has the second-fastest internet in the world and is in close competition for the top stop. At the end of 2022, Chile had the fastest internet speed in the world. It has since been surpassed by Singapore, but it remains among the countries with the fastest internet.

Internet speeds and accessibility have been steadily increasing in Chile, thanks in part to major investments in the country’s fiber optic infrastructure. Mobile internet speeds in Chile lag behind those achieved with fixed broadband.

1. Singapore

Singapore aerial view
Singapore has the fastest broadband internet in the world.

April 2023 median download speed: 242.01 Mbps

The fastest internet in the world belongs to Singapore, which has a median download speed of 242.01 Mbps. Not only does the Southeast Asian country enjoy the fastest internet, it also has the second-most affordable internet in the world

Singapore’s internet speeds are the fastest in the world because the government has invested in fiber-optic technology and because the high-tech city-state is small in size. Mobile download speeds in the country are significantly slower and are the 29th fastest in the world.

More About Internet Speeds Around the World

What makes a country’s internet speed fast?

The speed of a country’s internet depends largely on infrastructure. The types of wires used to deliver the internet, for example, have a large impact on speed. Fiber-optic cables are capable of providing faster connections than copper cables.

How fast is Starlink internet?

Starlink, an internet provider that’s part of company SpaceX, delivers internet via satellite around the world. The Starlink home plan offers speeds of 100–200 Mbps.

Which countries have the fastest mobile download speeds?

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, both countries in the Middle East, hold the top two spots for fastest mobile internet speeds.

Which country has the slowest internet in the world?

The world’s slowest internet speed belongs to Cuba. The country’s median download speed was just 1.97 Mbps in April 2023.

What makes a country’s internet speed slow?

Geographical features that are difficult to navigate, such as mountains, rivers, and islands, can make it difficult to create the infrastructure for widely available, speedy internet. Outdated infrastructure and a lack of funds to invest in telecommunications can also lead to slow internet in a country.

Image Sources and Copyright Information
  • Aerial View of Singapore Skyline at Dusk: © Travelpixs/Shutterstock