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What Does 1GB of Mobile Data Cost in Every Country?

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What Does 1GB of Mobile Data Cost in Every Country?

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What Does 1GB of Mobile Data Cost in Every Country?

Billions of people around the world rely on their mobile phones every day.

Even in a saturated market, mobile networks have continued to expand their reach. In the last five years alone, almost one billion additional people have gained access to mobile data services.

Despite the growing prevalence of these networks worldwide, the cost of gaining access can vary greatly from country to country—particularly when it comes to the price of mobile data.

Today’s chart uses figures from Cable.co.uk to showcase the average cost of one gigabyte (GB) of mobile data in 155 different countries and jurisdictions. Despite the vast global reach of the mobile economy, it’s clear it still has a long way to go to reach true accessibility.

Discrepancies in Mobile Data Costs

Researchers have identified several key elements that help explain the cost variation for mobile data between countries:

  1. Existing infrastructure (or lack thereof): This might seem counterintuitive, but most mobile networks rely on a fixed-line connection. As a result, countries with existing infrastructure are able to offer mobile plans with more data, at a cheaper price. This is the case for India and Italy. Countries with minimal or no infrastructure rely on more costly connection alternatives like satellites, and the cost typically gets passed down to the consumer.
  2. Reliance on mobile data: When mobile data is the primary source of internet in a particular region, adoption can become nearly universal. This high demand typically leads to an increase in competing providers, which in turn lowers the cost. Kyrgyzstan is a good example of this.
  3. Low data consumption: Countries with poor infrastructure tend to use less data. With mobile plans that offer smaller data limits, the overall average cost per GB tends to skew higher. Countries like Malawi and Benin are examples of this phenomenon.
  4. Average income of consumer: Relatively wealthy nations tend to charge more for mobile services since the population can generally afford to pay more, and the cost of operating a network is higher. This is apparent in countries like Canada or Germany.

The Cheapest Countries for 1 GB of Data

Even among the cheapest countries for mobile data, the cost variation is significant. Here’s a look at the top five cheapest countries for 1 GB of data:

Overall RankCountryAverage price of 1GB (USD)
1🇮🇳 India
2🇮🇱 Israel11¢
3🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan 21¢
4🇮🇹 Italy 43¢
5 🇺🇦 Ukraine46¢

India ranks the cheapest at $0.09 per GB, a 65% decrease in price compared to the country’s average cost in 2019.

Why is data so cheap in India? A significant factor is the country’s intense market competition, driven by Reliance Jio—a telecom company owned by Reliance Industries, one of the largest conglomerates in India. Reliance Jio launched in 2016, offering customers free trial periods and plans for less than a $1 a month. This forced other providers to drop their pricing, driving down the overall cost of data in the region.

Because these prices are likely unsustainable for the long term, India’s cheaper-than-usual prices may soon come to an end.

Another country worth highlighting is Kyrgyzstan, which ranks as the third cheapest at $0.21 per GB, ahead of Italy and Ukraine. This ranking is surprising, given the country’s minimal fixed-line infrastructure and large rural population. Researchers suspect the low cost is a result of Kyrgyzstan’s heavy reliance on mobile data as the population’s primary source of internet.

The Most Expensive Countries for 1 GB of Data

On the other end of the spectrum, here are the top five most expensive countries for one gigabyte of mobile data:

Overall RankCountryAverage price of 1GB (USD)
155🇲🇼 Malawi$27.41
154🇧🇯 Benin$27.22
153🇹🇩 Chad$23.33
152🇾🇪 Yemen$15.98
151🇧🇼 Botswana$13.87

A striking trend worth noting is that four out of five of the most expensive countries for mobile data are in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

A significant factor behind the high cost of data in SSA is its lack of infrastructure. With overburdened networks, the data bundles offered in the region are generally smaller. This drives up the average cost per GB when compared to countries with unlimited packages.

Another element that contributes to SSA’s high costs is its lack of market competition. In countries with multiple competing networks, such as Nigeria, the cost of data skews lower.

The Full Breakdown

The below table has a full list of all 155 countries and jurisdictions included in the data set. It helps demonstrate the stark contrast in the cost of mobile data between the most expensive and cheapest countries globally.

RankCountryAverage price of 1GB (USD)
1India
2Israel11¢
3Kyrgyzstan21¢
4Italy43¢
5Ukraine46¢
6Kazakhstan46¢
7Somalia50¢
8Sri Lanka51¢
9Russian Federation52¢
10Vietnam57¢
11China61¢
12Sudan63¢
13Indonesia64¢
14Algeria65¢
15Australia68¢
16Pakistan69¢
17Poland70¢
18Bangladesh70¢
19Chile71¢
20Turkey72¢
21Tanzania73¢
22Dominican Republic74¢
23Mongolia74¢
24Iran75¢
25Kuwait77¢
26Myanmar78¢
27Denmark80¢
28France81¢
29Nepal86¢
30Belarus89¢
31Georgia93¢
32Ghana94¢
33Monaco98¢
34Western Sahara99¢
35Morocco99¢
36Brazil$1.01
37Romania$1.03
38Jordan$1.03
39Kenya$1.05
40Armenia$1.05
41Austria$1.08
42Egypt$1.09
43Moldova$1.12
44Malaysia$1.12
45Thailand$1.23
46Estonia$1.27
47Uzbekistan$1.34
48Ireland$1.36
49Zambia$1.36
50Tunisia$1.37
51Nigeria$1.39
52United Kingdom$1.39
53Philippines$1.42
54El Salvador$1.45
55Argentina$1.45
56Rwanda$1.48
57Slovenia$1.48
58Cambodia$1.50
59Afghanistan$1.55
60Uruguay$1.58
61Serbia$1.60
62Uganda$1.62
63Nicaragua$1.71
64Macedonia$1.75
65Spain$1.81
66Lithuania$1.85
67Azerbaijan$1.86
68Congo$1.94
69Sweden$2.07
70Guinea$2.08
71Timor-Leste$2.08
72Saudi Arabia$2.12
73Burundi$2.12
74Peru$2.13
75Lesotho$2.13
76Finland$2.14
77Guatemala$2.17
78Bulgaria$2.22
79Bahrain$2.27
80Paraguay$2.30
81Ethiopia$2.44
82Singapore$2.47
83Burkina Faso$2.47
84Croatia$2.48
85Mauritius$2.48
86Hong Kong$2.55
87Haiti$2.74
88Costa Rica$2.74
89Cameroon$2.75
90Albania$2.83
91Netherlands$2.98
92Bosnia and Herzegovina$3.04
93Honduras$3.12
94Côte d'Ivoire$3.20
95Ecuador$3.24
96Liberia$3.25
97Palestine$3.26
98Niger$3.30
99Senegal$3.30
100Mozambique$3.33
101Colombia$3.46
102Sierra Leone$3.69
103United Arab Emirates$3.78
104Latvia$3.79
105Lebanon$3.82
106Slovakia$3.84
107Jamaica$3.88
108Japan$3.91
109Germany$4.06
110Qatar$4.12
111Guinea-Bissau$4.12
112Mali$4.12
113Lao PDR$4.16
114Iraq$4.20
115South Africa$4.30
116Togo$4.50
117Oman$4.58
118Mauritania$4.63
119Tajikistan$4.65
120Libya$4.73
121Mexico$4.77
122Namibia$4.78
123Belgium$4.88
124Gabon$4.89
125Portugal$4.97
126Bolivia$5.09
127Gambia$5.10
128Norway$5.28
129Angola$5.29
130Hungary$5.32
131Papua New Guinea$5.40
132Taiwan$5.91
133Trinidad and Tobago$5.92
134New Zealand$6.06
135Syria$6.55
136Panama$6.69
137Czech Republic$7.95
138United States$8.00
139Central African Republic$8.25
140Switzerland$8.38
141Madagascar$8.81
142Puerto Rico$9.17
143South Korea$10.94
144Turkmenistan$11.44
145Greece$12.06
146Canada$12.55
147Equatorial Guinea$12.78
148Eswatini$13.31
149Cuba$13.33
150Cyprus$13.56
151Botswana$13.87
152Yemen$15.98
153Chad$23.33
154Benin$27.22
155Malawi$27.41

Interestingly, the highest average cost is 30,000% more than the cheapest average price.

The Technology Gap

Will we reach a point of equal accessibility across the globe, or will the technology gap between countries continue to widen?

With 5G networks on the rise, just seven countries are expected to make up the majority of 5G related investments. Time will tell what this means for adoption worldwide.

Editor’s Note: The methodology used by Cable.co.uk represents a region’s national average, based on both pre-paid and post-paid plans. While the data correctly represents each region’s average cost on 1 GB based on the chosen methodology, Cable.co.uk acknowledges that it may not reflect the way most people in a country consume data.

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Technology

Timeline: The Shocking Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

Silicon Valley Bank was shuttered by regulators becoming the largest bank to fail since the height of the Financial Crisis. What happened?

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Timeline: The Shocking Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank

Just days ago, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) was still viewed as a highly-respected player in the tech space, counting thousands of U.S. venture capital-backed startups as its customers.

But fast forward to the end of last week, and SVB was shuttered by regulators after a panic-induced bank run.

So, how exactly did this happen? We dig in below.

Road to a Bank Run

SVB and its customers generally thrived during the low interest rate era, but as rates rose, SVB found itself more exposed to risk than a typical bank. Even so, at the end of 2022, the bank’s balance sheet showed no cause for alarm.

Summary of the SVB balance sheet at the end of 2022

As well, the bank was viewed positively in a number of places. Most Wall Street analyst ratings were overwhelmingly positive on the bank’s stock, and Forbes had just added the bank to its Financial All-Stars list.

Outward signs of trouble emerged on Wednesday, March 8th, when SVB surprised investors with news that the bank needed to raise more than $2 billion to shore up its balance sheet.

The reaction from prominent venture capitalists was not positive, with Coatue Management, Union Square Ventures, and Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund moving to limit exposure to the 40-year-old bank. The influence of these firms is believed to have added fuel to the fire, and a bank run ensued.

Also influencing decision making was the fact that SVB had the highest percentage of uninsured domestic deposits of all big banks. These totaled nearly $152 billion, or about 97% of all deposits.

ℹ️ The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insures up to $250,000 per account, per bank, for depositors.

By the end of the day, customers had tried to withdraw $42 billion in deposits.

What Triggered the SVB Collapse?

While the collapse of SVB took place over the course of 44 hours, its roots trace back to the early pandemic years.

In 2021, U.S. venture capital-backed companies raised a record $330 billion—double the amount seen in 2020. At the time, interest rates were at rock-bottom levels to help buoy the economy.

Matt Levine sums up the situation well: “When interest rates are low everywhere, a dollar in 20 years is about as good as a dollar today, so a startup whose business model is “we will lose money for a decade building artificial intelligence, and then rake in lots of money in the far future” sounds pretty good. When interest rates are higher, a dollar today is better than a dollar tomorrow, so investors want cash flows. When interest rates were low for a long time, and suddenly become high, all the money that was rushing to your customers is suddenly cut off.”

YearU.S. Venture Capital ActivityAnnual % Change
2021$330B98%
2020$167B15%
2019$145B1%
2018$144B64%
2017$88B6%
2016$83B-3%

Source: Pitchbook

Why is this important? During this time, SVB received billions of dollars from these venture-backed clients. In one year alone, their deposits increased 100%. They took these funds and invested them in longer-term bonds. As a result, this created a dangerous trap as the company expected rates would remain low.

During this time, SVB invested in bonds at the top of the market. As interest rates rose higher and bond prices declined, SVB started taking major losses on their long-term bond holdings.

Losses Fueling a Liquidity Crunch

When SVB reported its fourth quarter results in early 2023, Moody’s Investor Service, a credit rating agency took notice. In early March, it said that SVB was at high risk for a downgrade due to its significant unrealized losses.

In response, SVB looked to sell $2 billion of its investments at a loss to help boost liquidity for its struggling balance sheet. Soon, more hedge funds and venture investors realized SVB could be on thin ice. Depositors withdrew funds in droves, spurring a liquidity squeeze and prompting California regulators and the FDIC to step in and shut down the bank.

What Happens Now?

While much of SVB’s activity was focused on the tech sector, the bank’s shocking collapse has rattled a financial sector that is already on edge.

The four biggest U.S. banks lost a combined $52 billion the day before the SVB collapse. On Friday, other banking stocks saw double-digit drops, including Signature Bank (-23%), First Republic (-15%), and Silvergate Capital (-11%).

NameStock Price Change, March 10 2023Unrealized Losses / Tangible Equity
SVB Financial-60%*-99%
First Republic Bank-15%-29%
Zions Bancorp-2%-47%
Comerica-5%-47%
U.S. Bancorp-4%-55%
Fifth Third Bancorp-4%-38%
Bank of America-1%-54%
Wells Fargo1%-33%
JPMorgan-1%-21%

Source: Morningstar Direct. *Represents March 9 data, trading halted on March 10.

When the dust settles, it’s hard to predict the ripple effects that will emerge from this dramatic event. For investors, the Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen announced confidence in the banking system remaining resilient, noting that regulators have the proper tools in response to the issue.

But others have seen trouble brewing as far back as 2020 (or earlier) when commercial banking assets were skyrocketing and banks were buying bonds when rates were low.

The whole sector is in crisis, and the banks and investors that support these assets are going to have to figure out what to do.-Christopher Whalen, The Institutional Risk Analyst

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