Pakistan is one of Asia’s fastest-growing internet markets

There are over one million people coming online via their phones every month in Pakistan, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

The total number of internet users in the South Asian country currently stands at 35.1 million, representing 18 per cent of the 194 million population. That means large swaths are still offline and are likely to be brought into the fold as broadband coverage expands across the country.



For perspective, the entire population of Australia is 23.1 million. Malaysia and Singapore stand at 30 million and 5.4 million respectively.

In terms of sheer population density, Pakistan is the fourth-largest country on the Asian continent – behind Indonesia, India, and China.

PHOTO: HOOTSUITE

The numbers have been put together by digital marketing agencies Hootsuite and We Are Social.

Their presentation states that internet users in Pakistan swelled by 20 per cent in 2016. Active social media users grew even more rapidly – registering growth of 35 per cent year-on-year.

The global average stood at 10 per cent for increase in internet users and 21 per cent in social media profiles.

PHOTO: HOOTSUITE

And Pakistan’s just like any other emerging market – the overwhelming majority of web traffic is via mobile. Newest data shows mobile phones account for 70 per cent of the overall action – a 13 per cent increase from last year. The share of PCs sits at 27 per cent after declining by a meaty 22 per cent since 2015.

PHOTO: HOOTSUITE

In 2015, it was estimated that Pakistan’s mobile phone market was worth around US$840 million. But this figure only accounts for phones imported via legal channels. A substantial amount – especially high-end models – are brought into the country through the grey market.

The country’s obsession with phones isn’t going to die down anytime soon.

This article originally appeared on Tech in Asia.