These Countries Have the Least Access to Internet

Edited to add:  Sometimes it is easy to forget what a luxury it is to easy, fast and reliable access to the internet. I use the internet to network, research, sell, blog and consult with clients. Here in the United States we are accustomed to using the internet for work and pleasure.It is not uncommon to see children playing games while their parents work or stream videos for the family. It is hard for me to imagine life without the internet. The next time you get upset about your slow internet connection, imagine how you would be if you had no access to the internet at all.

Posted by Natalie Morin

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Sometimes, it feels as if technology has become so embedded in people’s lives that they barely notice it. If your memory fails you, a quick Google search will do the remembering for you; your phone is your compass; Your computer let’s you talk face to face with those an ocean away.

The Internet has arguably had the biggest impact of all modern inventions. But though many can access it with the touch of a button, for others it is a luxury that few can afford. Using data from the Internet Live Stats, SoftwareInsider visualized the percentage of Internet users by country, or Internet penetration, as of 2014.

Unsurprisingly, overall Internet use is most common in Western Europe, North America and Oceania. Countries such as Canada, Norway and the Netherlands have high percentages of Internet users. But leading the charge are the small countries of Bermuda (97.75%), Qatar (96.65%) and Bahrain (96.53%).

Though East Asian countries for the most part don’t see relatively high rates of Internet penetration, Japan and South Korea stand out as Internet hot spots—South Korea, especially, with 91.52% of its population on the Web.

In terms of the sheer number of users, China and the United States take first and second place with over 641 million and 279 million, respectively. Internet users have grown 4% in China from the previous year and 7% in the United States.

Which top 10 countries have the lowest Internet penetration? Click to find out.