This archive report was first published on 5 May 2020.
Published on May 5, 2020, a study by Cable.co.uk analyzed mobile data plans in 228 countries to determine the average cost of 1GB of mobile data. The study collected data from 5,554 mobile data plans between February 3rd and 25th, 2020.
India emerged as the cheapest country, with 1GB of mobile data costing just $0.09. On the other hand, Saint Helena was found to be the most expensive, with 1GB costing $52.50.
Eight out of the top 50 cheapest countries in the world for mobile data are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is in stark contrast to the cost of broadband on the continent, which is often very high or non-existent.
However, Sub-Saharan Africa also has some of the most expensive nations in the world for mobile data. In Northern Africa, Algeria has the cheapest mobile data, with an average cost of $0.65, followed by Western Sahara and Morocco, both with an average cost of $0.99.
Worldwide, the five most expensive countries for mobile data are island nations, including São Tomé and Príncipe, Bermuda, Nauru, Falkland Islands, and Saint Helena. These countries have limited fibre infrastructure, leading to more expensive mobile data solutions.
On the other hand, the five cheapest countries for mobile data are India, Israel, Kyrgyzstan, Italy, and Ukraine. These countries have excellent fibre broadband infrastructure or rely heavily on mobile data, making it more affordable.
Factors Influencing Mobile Data Pricing ¶
Several factors contribute to a country's mobile data pricing, including excellent infrastructure, heavy reliance on mobile data, small consumption, and a wealthy economy.
Countries with long-established, robust 4G infrastructure tend to have lower mobile data pricing. This is because mobile data plans often have higher caps, making the cost per gigabyte lower. India and Italy are examples of this.
Countries with little to no fixed-line broadband availability rely heavily on mobile data, making it more affordable. This is the case in countries like Chad and Benin, where small data amounts are common and often have single-day expiries.
Finally, wealthy nations tend to have good mobile infrastructure, decent data caps, and relatively healthy markets. This leads to mobile data pricing that is closer to the global average.
