According to Datareportal‘s recent stats, internet users reached 10.78MN in Nepal between 2020 and 2021. This is an increase of 567 thousand (5.67 lakh) new users (+5.5%) within the period of 12 months.
Adjusting this to the total population of Nepal, the internet penetration stood a 36.7%. Meanwhile, the population at the time stood 29.40 MN which was an increase of 532 thousand that is 1.8 in percentage.
The increase in the number of internet users is certainly down to the soaring demand for internet during Covid-19 induced lockdown. Additionally, mobile data and affordable internet have also played their role in the increase of internet activities in the country.
Check out: Internet users reached 4.6 billion worldwide in 2021
Social Media a Dominant Factor
The report highlighted that there were 13.00 million social media users in January 2021. It was a massive increase of 3 MN from the previous year which is 30%. Most of the internet bandwidth was consumed by Facebook, Tiktok, and Twitter among social media while YouTube is also a major factor.
| Social media | Users’ percentage |
| 69.89% | |
| 26.3% | |
| YouTube | 2.07% |
| 0.84% | |
| 0.39% | |
| 0.38% |
Note: As data consumption is increasing each day with improved quality in resolutions, it is also affecting the quality connection. This is why WorldLink, a major ISP in Nepal is also building data centers to meet today’s quality internet standards.
Don’t miss this: WorldLink To Build 14 World-Class Data Centers Worth NRs. 3 Billion
The Rise of eCommerce in Nepal
eCommerce has seen exponential growth over that couple of years. Every day the number of online buyers is increasing.
The COVID-19 pandemic, its social distance, and the growth of the internet have all played their part in making eCommerce a rising prospect in the country.
According to the stats, 45.4% of Nepalese have at least an account in any financial institution. 0.7% of Nepalese have a credit card and 0.3% are utilizing mobile money transactions.
The stats also reveal that 2.2% of Nepalese have performed online shopping between January 2020 and January 2021 AD. Within the time, each of them carried out one or more online shopping.
The way online marketing has gained prominence over the last few years, and it will continuously grow as payment and purchases are virally going digital these days.
Don’t miss out: Top online shopping sites in Nepal
Mobile connections in Nepal
Datareportal’s report also includes the stats about the ratio of mobile possession on average for each individual. The recent stats have shown that there were 38.61 million mobile connections in Nepal in January 2021. The data, however, depicts a decrease of mobile phones for each individual by 4 million between the concerned period.
The report also showed that the number of mobile connections in January 2021 stood at 131.3% of the total population. That is to say, on average an individual has carried more than one device at a time.
Don’t miss: TikTok Affecting Internet Speed in Nepal; ISPs Claim
Most Visited Websites
Datareportal also includes stats for the most visited sites by Nepalese within the concerned timeframe. As per the details, Nepalese visited Google the most. On average, a Nepali internet user spent about 15m 41s on Google. At seconds comes the video platform YouTube on which an average Nepali spends about 17m23s a day.
| Sites visited | YouTube | Onlinekhabar | Ekantipur | ||
| Time | 15m 41s | 17m 23s | 7m 35s | 18m 47s | 4m 32s |
The news portal Onlinekhabar perches at third with 7m 35s. Facebook and the English medium new portal Ekantipur make it to the list at 4th and 5th position with 18m 47s and 4m 32s of times spent between them.
Do Checkout: Internet Usage Skyrockets After Lockdown; Data Packages Lured More Users
What Does The Data Actually Reflect?
This demonstrates how much mobile phones have become a part of our lives. A single individual is lured by the prospect of carrying multiple phones for various purposes. And the mobile market is ever flooded with options ranging from low end to high end that consumers may find it hard to resist temptations from having more than one device.
The stats are not surprising. Internet consumption is still gaining penetration. Therefore, it is obvious that the numbers will only inflate due to the decreasing price of the internet and the expansion of mobile networks nationwide. The government is also taking necessary steps with the fortitude to improve internet quality.
Also read: Nepal Telecom Begins 4G Service in Upper Mustang
Currently, the Nepal government is amplifying its effort to upgrade cellular and fiber internet service. It has also begun studying the prospects of next-gen 5G cellular broadband in Nepal. Let’s hope these plans come to fruition and guide us towards the latest technology and innovation in the coming years.
What is Datareportal and Why It Matters!
Datareportal is a benchmark organization that aims to help individuals and organizations around the world find the data, insights, and current trends relating to telecommunications and the internet. The organization gathers its data from trusted third parties sources and releases them annually.
What do you think about the growing use of the internet in Nepal? Is it just inevitable or we could also be cautious about its consumption? Do leave your valuable opinions int he comments section below.
