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Where do people spend the largest amount of time screen gazing? With over 75% of the population using the Internet, South Africa leads the list of the most online countries (as proportion of its population; China has the most Internet users in terms of total people, online).
Taking a different measure, Argentinians watch more TV series and films than anyone else in the world, averaging over 4 hours of watch time daily. Yet neither of these countries has the fastest Internet service in the world (this lies with Chilie).
This is based on data compiled by Socialplug, who examined factors including the percentage of internet users per country, daily screen time, and social media usage. The study also considered the time spent watching television shows and movies and listening to podcasts and music to understand residents’ online habits. Each factor was weighted and used to calculate a final score, which countries are the most online.
The top 10 most online countries
| Country | Internet Usage % of Population | Total Daily Time Spent on Devices | Time Spent using Social Media | Time Watching TV shows/Movies | Time Spent Listening to Podcasts | Time Spent Listening to Music | Score |
| South Africa | 75.7 | 9:37 | 3:36 | 2:30 | 1:12 | 2:17 | 100 |
| Brazil | 84.2 | 9:09 | 3:32 | 3:42 | 1:07 | 2:06 | 98.3 |
| Chile | 94.5 | 8:45 | 3:39 | 3:54 | 0:54 | 2:14 | 94.6 |
| Philippines | 83.8 | 8:52 | 3:32 | 3:00 | 0:52 | 2:03 | 89.9 |
| Argentina | 89.2 | 8:44 | 3:05 | 4:12 | 0:45 | 1:53 | 89.4 |
| Colombia | 77.3 | 8:44 | 3:25 | 3:00 | 1:09 | 1:54 | 87.5 |
| Russia | 92.2 | 8:38 | 2:23 | 5:20 | 0:45 | 1:01 | 84.9 |
| Mexico | 81.2 | 7:32 | 3:12 | 3:30 | 1:15 | 2:20 | 73.7 |
| Malaysia | 97.7 | 8:13 | 2:46 | 2:27 | 0:37 | 1:25 | 68.7 |
| U.A.E. | 100.0 | 7:59 | 2:59 | 1:54 | 0:54 | 1:29 | 65.7 |
South Africans spend the most time online, with 9.5 hours every day. Three of those are typically spent on social media, and movies and TV shows are the secondmost popular activity, with 2.5 hours of screen time. Residents also dedicate a little over two hours of their day to listening to their favourite songs, while another hour goes to podcasts and audio shows.
In terms of key stats pertaining to South Africa:
- Internet Usage (% of Population): 75.7
- Total Daily Time Spent on Devices: 9 hours 37 minutes
- Time Spent on Social Media: 3 hours 36 minutes
- Overall Score: 100
Brazil
Brazil comes second, with more than 84% of its residents having Internet access, almost 10% more than in South Africa. Out of the average 9 hours and 9 minutes of screen time, social media occupies 3.5 hours, while more traditional media like films and TV series are consumed for almost 4 hours daily. Audio entertainment is also a big part of people’s day, with 1 hour belonging to podcast shows and 2 hours to music.
Chile
Chile ranks as the third most online country, with the majority of the population, around 94%, using the Internet, the biggest share on the list. Around 8 hours and 45 minutes a day are spent on phones and tablets, of which 3 hours and 40 minutes are on social media. Locals frequently bingewatch television series and films, using streaming services like Netflix for about four hours every day. Music is a bigger part of Chileans’ lives than for Brazilians, with 2 hours and 14 minutes of residents’ days being filled with songs and an additional hour for podcasts.
Philippines
Coming in at number four, the Philippines has more than 83% of its residents active on the Internet. Their time online reaches almost 9 hours daily, out of which 3.5 hours are spent on Instagram, TikTok, and other social media. Filipinos also dedicate around 3 hours daily to watching TV series and films, while almost 3 hours collectively are spent on listening to audio content like songs or podcasts.
Argentina
With almost 90% of its population online, Argentina rounds out the top 5. Argentinians use their devices for 8 hours and 44 minutes a day on average, of which slightly more than 3 are spent scrolling through social media. Argentinians are also the biggest movie and TV show fans in the top 5, spending more than 4 hours a day on them. Music is a big part of online entertainment, too, averaging 2 hours each day.
As indicated in the review above, the Internet affects our daily routines, our social lives, and even our mood. Spending long hours on screens or scrolling through social media can change how we interact with others – with the countries that are most online, these habits wil often shape the way people live and connect.
