Comparison site Broadband Genie has today published a new 2024 Mobile Data Affordability Index, which explores the global landscape of mobile data (mobile broadband) pricing and affordability. Overall, the United Kingdom was found to rank 5th most affordable for mobile data out of 179 countries, putting it ahead of “global powerhouses” such as Germany (13th), Italy (20th), the USA (35th) and China (51st).
The study itself produced its results by comparing the average cost of a monthly mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data against average wages from 70,806 people to determine the mobile data affordability rating for 179 countries worldwide. Worldwide, people were found to spend 4.09% of their salary on a mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data.
The average spend on a mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data is USD 24.20 (£19.19). Singapore was found to have the most affordable mobile data in the world (0.35% of salary and an average plan cost of USD 17.13), while Guinea has the least affordable data in the world (56.29% and USD 115.58).
In the United Kingdom, a similar mobile phone contract typically costs £12.19, which is said to be equivalent to 0.52% of an average wage (£2,337.74). Overall, European and Asian countries take up the majority of places in the top 20, not least since these continents have a greater purchasing power because of higher wages and reasonable tariff prices.
Rank
Country
Mobile data cost (USD)
Mobile data as % of salary
1
Singapore
17.13
0.35
2
Luxembourg
21.16
0.4
3
Israel
12.2
0.47
4
Iceland
23.52
0.51
5
United Kingdom
15.38
0.52
6
Hong Kong
19.72
0.55
7
Denmark
19.84
0.55
8
Liechtenstein
34.39
0.55
9
Monaco
47.62
0.61
10
Poland
8.71
0.64
11
India
3.81
0.65
12
Ireland
22.19
0.7
13
Germany
21.66
0.72
14
Netherlands
24.9
0.72
15
Slovenia
10.74
0.73
16
Kuwait
21.45
0.74
17
San Marino
21.64
0.76
18
Lesotho
5.83
0.81
19
Honduras
4.66
0.82
20
Italy
14.29
0.84
21
Iran
2.24
0.84
22
Austria
21.85
0.84
23
Australia
28.75
0.85
24
Belgium
22.46
0.86
25
Switzerland
59.82
0.9
26
Russia
5.38
0.94
27
Romania
7.83
0.95
28
Finland
28.88
1
29
Sweden
28.17
1.04
30
Spain
20.38
1.06
31
Malaysia
8.76
1.08
32
Andorra
28.2
1.08
33
Liberia
22.5
1.11
34
Lithuania
14.59
1.12
35
United States
52.74
1.13
36
Indonesia
3.69
1.16
37
Cyprus
21.18
1.17
38
Qatar
47.47
1.17
39
Turkey
7.2
1.18
40
Fiji
13.42
1.18
41
Japan
26.73
1.18
42
Brunei
21.55
1.19
43
Uzbekistan
4.36
1.2
44
France
30.98
1.24
45
Bahrain
27.41
1.27
46
Norway
43.83
1.29
47
Estonia
20.73
1.29
48
Vietnam
5.92
1.32
49
New Zealand
38.82
1.33
50
Timor-Leste
30
1.35
51
China
13.39
1.38
52
Ukraine
5.72
1.42
53
Guatemala
19.2
1.43
54
Somalia
5
1.47
55
Armenia
8.91
1.47
56
Sierra Leone
25
1.49
57
Uruguay
16.41
1.51
58
Moldova
7.96
1.53
59
Grenada
18.5
1.58
60
Latvia
18.29
1.61
61
Belarus
7.77
1.61
62
Canada
48.04
1.65
63
Kazakhstan
9.79
1.68
64
Taiwan
28.18
1.68
65
Burundi
10
1.68
66
Saudi Arabia
35.8
1.7
67
Malta
27.16
1.7
68
Croatia
21.22
1.78
69
United Arab Emirates
61.53
1.8
70
Chile
11.89
1.82
71
Portugal
20.79
1.85
72
Czech Republic
28.76
1.86
73
Bulgaria
16.46
1.87
74
Namibia
13.66
1.9
75
South Korea
47.44
1.96
76
Georgia
10.01
2.04
77
Mongolia
7.43
2.11
78
Cambodia
5.94
2.13
79
Oman
45.69
2.15
80
Palestine
14.31
2.2
81
Pakistan
3.91
2.22
82
Senegal
9.07
2.24
83
Nepal
4.92
2.3
84
Serbia
15.76
2.3
85
Greece
22.8
2.35
86
Djibouti
36.55
2.36
87
Bangladesh
5.91
2.4
88
Ecuador
12.47
2.42
89
South Africa
31.18
2.43
90
Kyrgyzstan
7.61
2.43
91
Jordan
15.36
2.45
92
Montenegro
19.76
2.45
93
Colombia
9.17
2.46
94
Solomon Islands
13.07
2.53
95
Morocco
9.92
2.54
96
Sri Lanka
4.84
2.55
97
Costa Rica
22.89
2.58
98
Thailand
14.01
2.59
99
Tonga
21.14
2.66
100
Hungary
26.49
2.81
101
Bosnia And Herzegovina
18.25
2.82
102
Antigua and Barbuda
39.59
2.83
103
Marshall Islands
50
2.86
104
Slovakia
34.43
2.89
105
Albania
16.12
2.9
106
Peru
11.38
2.97
107
Puerto Rico
70
3.07
108
Jamaica
19.62
3.09
109
Yemen
11.5
3.12
110
Libya
9.27
3.2
111
Mexico
24.91
3.26
112
Tunisia
9.75
3.28
113
Democratic Republic of the Congo
18.75
3.31
114
Azerbaijan
12.89
3.32
115
North Macedonia
17.39
3.38
116
Vanuatu
25.27
3.46
117
Rwanda
9.2
3.48
118
Kenya
11.49
3.5
119
Mauritius
20.08
3.54
120
Botswana
26.06
3.67
121
Mauritania
24.98
3.71
122
Saint Kitts and Nevis
42
3.78
123
Panama
30.19
3.79
124
Algeria
11.61
3.99
125
Togo
23.1
4.2
126
El Salvador
17.52
4.21
127
Argentina
17.86
4.23
128
Brazil
19.41
4.26
129
Myanmar
11.84
4.29
130
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
37
4.3
131
Bahamas
71.49
4.31
132
Iraq
23.61
4.31
133
Barbados
50
4.39
134
Dominican Republic
18.24
4.62
135
Zimbabwe
16.3
4.76
136
Tanzania
11.9
4.81
137
Sudan
9.59
4.86
138
Paraguay
15.77
4.89
139
Maldives
48.3
4.89
140
Comoros
32.85
4.92
141
Egypt
9.03
5.05
142
Belize
49.65
5.16
143
Nigeria
5.71
5.25
144
Trinidad and Tobago
43.64
5.41
145
Niger
16.5
5.49
146
Ethiopia
11.57
5.56
147
Ghana
10.25
5.57
148
Bolivia
22.53
5.77
149
Palau
58.25
5.83
150
Seychelles
43.27
5.86
151
Nicaragua
16.19
6.43
152
Guyana
27.88
6.48
153
Venezuela
13
6.69
154
Eswatini
33.15
6.72
155
Uganda
13.12
6.72
156
Angola
21.28
6.77
157
Gabon
33
6.98
158
Laos
40.19
7.18
159
Mozambique
19.24
7.23
160
Chad
24.75
7.5
161
Afghanistan
15.17
7.62
162
Bhutan
36.13
8.05
163
Tajikistan
13.77
8.09
164
Gambia
22.25
9.38
165
Madagascar
13.15
9.42
166
Saint Lucia
111.01
9.6
167
Suriname
25
9.68
168
Dominica
48.1
11.14
169
Micronesia
40
11.24
170
Philippines
41.46
11.42
171
Lebanon
57.66
13.72
172
Benin
41.33
14.56
173
Cameroon
24.75
15.39
174
Cuba
40
17.09
175
Papua New Guinea
62.81
21.81
176
Syria
9.91
22.11
177
Ivory Coast
41.25
23.2
178
Zambia
87.12
30.29
179
Guinea
115.58
56.29