Digital Adoption in the United Kingdom
95.5% internet penetration · EGDI rank 7 of 193
This profile brings together internet use, financial inclusion and UN e-government indicators for the United Kingdom, with source years shown alongside each figure.
Internet and Connectivity
96.3% of the UK population used the internet in 2023, among the highest rates in Europe. Mobile subscriptions stand at 122.8 per 100 people, and fixed broadband at 41.44 per 100 people, both figures pointing to a market where most households run a fixed line alongside one or more active mobile plans rather than relying on mobile data alone. A verified figure for active mobile broadband specifically was not available from the sources checked for this page.
| Connectivity indicator | United Kingdom | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals using the internet | 95.5% | 2024 |
| Mobile cellular subscriptions, per 100 people | 122.8 | 2023 |
| Fixed broadband subscriptions, per 100 people | 41.44 | 2023 |
Digital Payments
Financial-inclusion indicators are shown separately from connectivity measures because they describe account ownership or payment use.
| Payments indicator (UK Finance) | United Kingdom | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Cash share of all payments | 9% | 2024 |
| Adults registered for a mobile wallet | 57% | 2024 |
| Adults using mobile banking | 75% | 2024 |
A World Bank Global Findex account-ownership figure specific to the UK was not confirmed from the sources checked for this page, so it has been left out here rather than estimated.
Digital Government
United Kingdom ranked 7 of 193 UN member states in the 2024 E-Government Development Index, with an EGDI score of 0.9577.
| UN E-Government Development Index | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| EGDI score | 0.9577 |
| Global rank | 7 |
United Kingdom vs. Region and World
This comparison uses internet penetration because it provides a same-source, same-year benchmark for the United Kingdom, Europe & Central Asia, and the world.
| Indicator | United Kingdom | Europe & Central Asia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet use, 2024 | 95.5% | 91.5% | 71.2% |
Key Takeaways
- Cash has shrunk to just 9% of UK payments, from 48% a decade ago, one of the fastest cash declines among major economies.
- Mobile wallet registration jumped from 42% to 57% of adults in a single year, a faster shift than the multi-year trend in cash decline would suggest.
- A 7th-place UN e-government rank puts the UK ahead of several larger economies, including the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of the UK population uses the internet?
96.3% in 2023, per World Bank data sourced from the International Telecommunication Union.
How cashless are payments in the UK?
Cash accounted for just 9% of all payments in 2024, down from 23% in 2019, according to UK Finance.
What is the UK rank in the UN E-Government Development Index?
United Kingdom ranked 7 of 193 UN member states in 2024, with an EGDI score of 0.9577.
How many UK adults use mobile wallets?
57% were registered for a mobile wallet in 2024, up from 42% in 2023, according to UK Finance.
Sources & methodology
Sources for the indicators and definitions shown above.
View sources used for this page
Account ownership, 2024.
Cash share of payments, mobile wallet registration, and mobile banking use. Country-specific supplementary indicators alongside Global Findex account ownership.
EGDI score and global rank, covering all 193 UN member states. Component indices were not individually confirmed for the UK.
Data note: Indicators are shown with their published reference years.