The high cost of mobile data in Africa: Top 20 most expensive countries

February 24th 2023, 1:15:57 pm

  

Ethiopia is among the least-connected countries in Africa, with only about 12 percent of people online, the International Telecommunications Union reported in 2015

African countries generally have some of the most expensive costs of mobile data in the world due to factors such as unavailability of infrastructure and high taxation in the telecom industry.

Equatorial Guinea has the most expensive price of mobile data in Africa, with one gigabyte costing as much as $49.67, followed by Sao Tome and Principe and Malawi.

Africans rely heavily on mobile data to stay connected with the rest of the world, but unfortunately, many are paying exorbitant prices for this essential service. A report by Statista shows that African countries are among the most expensive in the world when it comes to purchasing mobile data.

While many African countries struggle with expensive data prices, some are paying more than others. In this article, we will highlight the 20 African countries with the most expensive mobile data prices.

Topping the list is Equatorial Guinea, where one gigabyte of mobile data costs a whopping $49.67. Sao Tome and Principe, and Malawi come in second and third place with $30.97 and $25.46 per gigabyte, respectively. Chad and Namibia round out the top five with average prices of $23.33 and $22.37 per gigabyte, respectively.




While these countries have the highest data prices, other African countries are not far behind. The Central African Republic, Seychelles, and Gambia are among the countries with high data prices, with averages of $9.03, $8.64, and $5.86 per gigabyte, respectively.

Other countries with high data prices include Mauritania, Madagascar, Gabon, Cape Verde, Togo, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Botswana, Benin, Mali, Sierra Leone, and Comoros.

The high cost of mobile data in African countries can be attributed to various factors, including the unavailability of infrastructure and high taxation in the African telecom industry. This makes it difficult for many Africans to stay connected to the internet and access vital services such as healthcare, education, and finance.