A recent report by Top10VPN, an independent VPN review website that champions internet privacy, security, and freedom, has revealed that Sub-Saharan Africa lost a whopping $1.56 billion to the internet shutdown in 2024.
The continent recorded 32,938 hours of internet downtime, which impacted over 111.2 million Internet users. Africa was the second-most affected region after Asia, as both regions had around ten times as many hours or more of Internet shutdowns. Such shutdowns represent one of the harshest forms of internet censorship, cutting off access to information, essential services, and digital infrastructure.
The report revealed that governments in Africa shut down internet access majorly due to conflict. Notably, while the cost of internet shutdowns may have dropped in 2024 compared to last year, there were more hours of deliberate internet disruption than ever before.
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Internet Shutdowns 2024: Cost by Region
This data table shows the total economic cost of all major deliberate internet outages in 2024, broken down by the global region. It is ordered by economic impact, measured in USD. Russia is included as part of Europe, and Turkey, Asia.
| Region | Total Cost | Duration (Hrs) | Internet Users Affected |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia | $4.64 billion | 48,807 | 331.3 million |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $1.56 billion | 32,938 | 111.2 million |
| South America | $1.12 billion | 3,480 | 17.9 million |
| MENA | $350.5 million | 3,135 | 160.2 million |
| Europe | $16.6 million | 84 | 24.2 million |
| Oceania | $1 million | 343 | 3.5 million |
On the global scale, deliberate internet outages inflicted a staggering $7.69 billion in economic losses. This however is a decline by 15.8%, compared to $9.13 billion cost of shut downs in 2023. These disruptions, spanning 167 major incidents across 28 countries, marked a record high for affected nations in a single year.
Approximately 648.4 million people experienced deliberate internet restrictions in 2024. X (Twitter) was the most frequently blocked platform, with 20,322 hours of disruption, followed by TikTok at 8,115 hours and Signal at 2,880 hours.
Economically, Pakistan bore the highest losses at $1.62 billion, followed by Myanmar at $1.58 billion and Sudan at $1.12 billion. Iraq recorded the highest number of internet shutdowns, with 61 disruptions primarily tied to school exams. Myanmar and Azerbaijan enforced the longest outages, each surpassing 8,784 hours.
A significant portion of these government-imposed shutdowns was linked to human rights abuses, particularly in restricting freedom of assembly. These actions not only infringed on digital freedoms but also caused severe economic setbacks.
Internet blackouts, which completely severe online access, remain the most extreme form of censorship and cannot be circumvented. Social media blocks, while restrictive, are typically bypassed using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
Over the past six years, the economic toll of internet shutdowns has varied significantly. In 2023, 196 shutdowns lasting 79,238 hours cost $9.01 billion. In 2022, 114 shutdowns lasting 50,095 hours resulted in $24.61 billion in losses, with Russia accounting for the bulk of the cost. Earlier years saw lower durations and costs, with 2021 recording 50 shutdowns over 30,179 hours costing $5.45 billion, and 2020 witnessing 93 shutdowns over 27,165 hours costing $4.01 billion. In 2019, there were 134 shutdowns lasting 19,207 hours, costing $8.07 billion.
This year’s report highlights the severe consequences of internet shutdowns, not only as catastrophic economic acts but also as significant threats to human rights and digital freedoms.