Research that we’ve conducted in advance of launching mobile surveying across 40 countries in 2017 shows that 15% of internet users globally are now Mobile-Only (not owning or using any other connected devices, with mobiles being their sole access point for getting online).

However, this is a trend which varies substantially between markets. It is most pronounced in emerging countries, with Mobile-Only users accounting for more than a third of the online population in places such as the UAE, Thailand, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. That gives context for why our existing data has so consistently shown that consumers in fast-growth markets spend the longest amount of time on mobile and are typically the trend-setters when it comes to adopting new mobile services or behaviors.

The picture is quite different in mature markets, with a concentrated cluster of North American and Western European countries appearing at the bottom of our list. In places such as Canada, Germany, the US and the UK, Mobile-Only Users in fact account for 5% or less of the total online population.

Stayed tuned to the rest of this week’s Charts of the Day for further insights from our Mobile Pilot. In the meantime, clients can download our new infographic on the subject here.

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Written by

Jason is Chief Research Officer at GWI. He's the main man who leads our global team of analysts, delivering world-renowned research. He's an in-demand data junkie who you might see popping up on your telly screens every so often to show you what's actually happening in the lives of consumers.

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