According to a report by cable.co.uk, Nigeria is ranked at the 31st position in the global ranking of countries with the most affordable mobile data rates.
The country has an average price of 1GB at $0.39 which is equivalent to N390, using the exchange rate of (N1000/$).
On the global data ranking, Israel sits in the number one position of a country with the cheapest data rate, with a $0.02 average cost per 1GB of mobile data, followed by Italy having a $0.09 average cost per 1GB of mobile data.
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On the other hand, Southern African country Zimbabwe occupies the last position (237) as the country with the most expensive data rate of $43.75 average cost per 1GB of mobile data.
It is understood that the high cost of data in Zimbabwe is attributed to the incessant surge in inflation and a deteriorating economy.
Other countries with the most expensive data in terms of the average cost of 1GB of mobile data are the Falkland Islands (USD 40.58), Saint Helena (USD 40.13), South Sudan (USD 23.70), and Tokelau (USD 17.24).
However, globally, the price of data is reported to have come down, as a vast majority of countries adjusted their data rates.
Speaking on the mobile data pricing report, consumer Telecoms analyst at Cable.co.uk, Dan Howdle said,
“Our yearly mobile data pricing tracking study is as much a measure of the quantity of data offered as it is the price of data more broadly.
“After all, those counties with the most improved (cheaper) pricing across the five years our tracker now covers tend to be those offering tens or even hundreds of times more data in 2023 as was available for similar money in 2019.
“It is encouraging to see the price of data coming down across the globe as a whole, with the vast majority of countries offering 1GB of mobile data for less than $2”.
The firm further noted that countries with long-established, ubiquitous 4G or new 5G infrastructure tend to fall towards the cheaper end of the table.
Check out how pricing is averaged in thirteen global regions
Northern Africa
All but two of the seven North African countries are in the cheapest half of the table. Western Sahara is the cheapest at USD 0.58, and the most expensive in the region is Mauritania (USD 1.32). All countries in this region are cheaper than the global average of USD 2.59 Northern Africa is the cheapest region in the world overall
Asia (excl. Near East)
Asian nations make up a significant portion of the top 20 cheapest countries for mobile data. Cambodia and Pakistan offer the most affordable rates at just USD 0.12 per 1GB, followed by India at USD 0. 16 and India at USD 0.16. These countries rank among the top ten globally for the lowest mobile data prices. Only three Asian countries exceed the global average of USD 2.59 per 1GB – Japan (USD 3.48), British Indian Ocean Territory (USD 4 44), and South Korea, which stands as the most expensive in the region at USD 5.01 per 1GB.
Eastern Europe
Within Eastern Europe, Moldova (USD 0.28) is the cheapest, followed by Montenegro (USD 0.32), Poland (USD 0.37), and Romania (USD 0.54). The Czech Republic is the most expensive in the region, with 1GB of data costing USD 3.12 on average.
Central America
The cheapest mobile data plans in Central America can be found in Nicaragua, where 1GB of data costs USD 0.55 on average, and Honduras (USD 0.78). Prices are somewhat steeper in El Salvador (USD 1.08) and Guatemala (USD 1.17). The most expensive country in Central America is Belize, where an average of 1GB costs USD 2.92.
CIS
Several CIS countries are among the very cheapest in the world for mobile data and all but four sit inside the less expensive halt of the table. Kyrgyzstan is the cheapest in the region with an average of USD 0.17, and also the eighth cheapest in the world. At the bottom of the regional table is Turkmenistan (USD 11.42), which is also the seventh most expensive in the world.
Baltics
Estonia is the cheapest of the three with 1GB costing an average of USD 1.15 and sits in 107th place in the world, while in Lithuania 1GB costs USD 1.26 on average. Latvia sits in the most expensive half of the table with an average of USD 3.21 and is the only country in the region whose pricing is greater than the global average of USD 2.59.
Western Europe
The cheapest mobile data in Western Europe is in Italy – in second place globally – where the average price of 1GB is just USD 0.09 San Marino (USD 0.10) is the second-cheapest in Western Europe followed by France (USD 0.20) and Monaco (USD 0 42). The UK (USD 0.62) is the 8th cheapest in Western Europe and 58th cheapest in the world
Caribbean
Most Caribbean nations are in the more expensive half of the list but the difference between the most expensive and the cheapest is extreme. The Cayman Islands are the most expensive in the Caribbean with an average of USD 8.39, while an average of 1GB in the cheapest country – Haiti – is 38 times cheaper at USD 0.22.
Near East
Israel is the cheapest country in the Near East region and also the cheapest in the world, with 1GB costing an average of USD 0.02. Turkey (USD 0.44) is a distant second-cheapest, closely followed by Kuwait (USD 0.52) and Syria (USD 0.67). The most expensive mobile data in the region can be found in Yemen, where the average price of 1GB is USD 15.68
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa has just six countries among the top 50 cheapest in the world – Malawi, in 29th place globally, is the cheapest in the region at USD 0.38.
The region also has five out of the ten most expensive countries in the world, with Zimbabwe being the most expensive in the region and the world (USD 43.75), followed by Saint Helena (USD 40.13), South Sudan (23.70), Central African Republic (USD 10.90) and Zambia (USD 8.01) all at the bottom of the table.
Oceania
The average 1GB of data costs USD 0.09 in Fiji, making it the cheapest country in Oceania, and the 3rd cheapest in the world. The region’s island nations are mostly in the more expensive half of the table, with, Tokelau being the most expensive at USD 17.24.
Samoa comes in at second cheapest in the region at USD 0.36, with New Zealand a long way behind – 18th in the region with an average 1GB cost of USD 5.89.
South America
Colombia, with an average of USD 0.20, Uruguay (USD 0.28) Brazil (USD 0.51) Peru (USD 0.45), and French Guiana (USD 0.49) are the only South American countries to make it into the top 50 cheapest in the world. The most expensive in the region is the Falkland Islands at USD 40.58 – it is also the second most expensive in the world.
Northern America
The average price of 1GB of mobile data in all four North American countries exceeds the global average of USD 2.59, making it the most expensive region overall. Bermuda is the cheapest country in the region with an average cost of USD 3.42, and the most expensive is the United States (USD 6.00).