Data Sources and Methodologies
DataReportal relies on third-party data collected and published by a selection of trusted organisations and individuals.
Please see the footnotes of each individual slide to learn more about the relevant source(s) of data for each slide or chart, and read on below for further details on each of these sources.
Most of the data in our reports comes directly from third-party providers and is published “as is”, but we sometimes combine or extrapolate the data and findings from these third parties to create new data points.
In particular, our “overall” figures for internet users and social media users rely on data signals from multiple sources:
Internet users: we analyse the latest available data from a variety of trusted organisations to identify the most recent and representative figure for internet use in each country. These organisations include: the ITU, GSMA Intelligence, Eurostat, Google, and a number of local government authorities and recognised industry bodies. We prioritise data for unique individuals that have used the internet at least once within the past 12 months, but in many cases, the data we use represents active use of the internet within the past 3 months. Where no other data are available, we occasionally use social media user numbers as a proxy for internet user numbers, but this affects fewer than 10 countries, all of which are either dependencies or disputed territories where other organisations face diplomatic challenges with regards to publishing geo-specific data for internet use.
Social media users: we use data published by various social media platforms and government authorities to inform the figures that we publish for social media users. However, due to issues such as duplicate accounts and the potential misattribution of “non-human” accounts (e.g. business, pets, music bands, etc.) in source data, please note that figures for social media users may not equate to unique, individual human users. Please also note that – due to differences in data availability – we use a different combination of data signals to inform our global user number compared with the signals that we use to inform our figures for local countries and world regions, so the figures for these individual geographies will not sum to the global total.
We clearly cite the data source(s) for each slide in the footnotes of that slide, together with guidance on how to read or interpret the data, and details of whether we’ve extrapolated or adapted the original data in any way.
If you’d like to know how and when the original data was collected by our third-party partners, or if you’d like to dig deeper into their associated research methodologies, please visit the relevant data partner’s website using the links shown below.
If you have any other questions about the data we’ve featured in our reports, please click here to find our contact details.
And if you’d like to explore the potential of becoming a data partner for our reports, please click here to send us an email.
Our trusted partners
In particular, we’d like to thank the following partners for their ongoing support:
GWI (formerly GlobalWebIndex) is the leading provider of audience profiling data to agencies, publishers and brands worldwide, and offers instant access to one of the world's most revealing consumer behaviour datasets. Click here to learn more.
Statista is one of the world’s largest online statistics databases. Its Digital Market Outlook products provide forecasts, detailed market insights, and key indicators for various digital behaviours across more than 50 regions and countries around the world. Click here to learn more.
GSMA Intelligence is the unit within the GSMA that houses the organisation’s extensive database of mobile operator statistics, forecasts, and industry reports. Click here to learn more.
Data.ai (formerly App Annie) delivers data and insights that help businesses better understand global app markets, identify how to grow their businesses, and successfully leverage the opportunities around them. Click here to learn more.
Semrush is an all-in-one suite of tools that helps marketers and webmasters improve online visibility and discover marketing insights. Click here to learn more.
Locowise is a social media performance measurement platform that helps agencies to manage clients, produce and prove value, and win new business. Click here to learn more.
SimilarWeb is a pioneer of market intelligence and a global standard for understanding the digital world, offering granular insights about any website or app across all industries in every region. Click here to learn more.
Skai offers a suite of data-driven products for market intelligence, omnichannel media activation, testing, and measurement, enabling brands and agencies to make predictions, improve strategic planning, and drive growth. Click here to learn more.
Ookla is a global leader in fixed broadband and mobile network testing applications, data and analysis, and is the company behind Speedtest. To learn more about Ookla’s products and data offerings, click here.
PPRO provides digital payments infrastructure to businesses and banks so they can scale all their services through one connection. Click here to learn more about PPROs services, and to read their collection of reports on online payments by country.
We’d also like to thank the following organisations for allowing us to re-publish their data:
The ITU (International Telecommunication Union) is the United Nations’ specialised agency for information and communication technologies (ICTs), and is committed to connecting all of the world’s people – wherever they live, and whatever their means – to protect and support everyone’s right to communicate. Click here to learn more.
Statcounter offers a range of tools to help website owners and managers better understand their visitors. Click here to learn more.
Ericsson’s Mobility Reports provide a wealth of projections and analyses of the latest trends in the mobile industry. Click here to learn more.