Data from the Economic Report on Africa 2026 by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa shows a persistent gender gap in internet use between Africa and global averages from 2019 to 2024.
Globally, internet use increased steadily among both men and women.
Male usage rose from 55 per cent in 2019 to 70 per cent in 2024, while female usage increased from 48 per cent to 65 per cent.
This kept the global gender gap relatively stable at around five percentage points.
Africa recorded lower internet usage overall and a wider gender disparity.
Male internet use rose from 37 per cent in 2019 to a peak of 45 per cent in 2022 before settling at 43 per cent in 2024.
Among women, usage increased from 20 per cent in 2019 to 34 per cent in 2022, but fell slightly to 31 per cent in 2024.
The figures show that 2024 internet use in Africa remained 12 percentage points higher among men than women, highlighting the continued digital divide and the need for efforts to expand women’s access to and use of the internet across the continent.
