Comparison site Broadband Genie has today published a new 2024 Mobile Data Affordability Index, which explores the global landscape of mobile data (mobile broadband) pricing and affordability. Overall, the United Kingdom was found to rank 5th most affordable for mobile data out of 179 countries, putting it ahead of “global powerhouses” such as Germany (13th), Italy (20th), the USA (35th) and China (51st).
The study itself produced its results by comparing the average cost of a monthly mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data against average wages from 70,806 people to determine the mobile data affordability rating for 179 countries worldwide. Worldwide, people were found to spend 4.09% of their salary on a mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data.
The average spend on a mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data is USD 24.20 (£19.19). Singapore was found to have the most affordable mobile data in the world (0.35% of salary and an average plan cost of USD 17.13), while Guinea has the least affordable data in the world (56.29% and USD 115.58).
In the United Kingdom, a similar mobile phone contract typically costs £12.19, which is said to be equivalent to 0.52% of an average wage (£2,337.74). Overall, European and Asian countries take up the majority of places in the top 20, not least since these continents have a greater purchasing power because of higher wages and reasonable tariff prices.
| Rank | Country | Mobile data cost (USD) | Mobile data as % of salary |
| 1 | Singapore | 17.13 | 0.35 |
| 2 | Luxembourg | 21.16 | 0.4 |
| 3 | Israel | 12.2 | 0.47 |
| 4 | Iceland | 23.52 | 0.51 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 15.38 | 0.52 |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 19.72 | 0.55 |
| 7 | Denmark | 19.84 | 0.55 |
| 8 | Liechtenstein | 34.39 | 0.55 |
| 9 | Monaco | 47.62 | 0.61 |
| 10 | Poland | 8.71 | 0.64 |
| 11 | India | 3.81 | 0.65 |
| 12 | Ireland | 22.19 | 0.7 |
| 13 | Germany | 21.66 | 0.72 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 24.9 | 0.72 |
| 15 | Slovenia | 10.74 | 0.73 |
| 16 | Kuwait | 21.45 | 0.74 |
| 17 | San Marino | 21.64 | 0.76 |
| 18 | Lesotho | 5.83 | 0.81 |
| 19 | Honduras | 4.66 | 0.82 |
| 20 | Italy | 14.29 | 0.84 |
| 21 | Iran | 2.24 | 0.84 |
| 22 | Austria | 21.85 | 0.84 |
| 23 | Australia | 28.75 | 0.85 |
| 24 | Belgium | 22.46 | 0.86 |
| 25 | Switzerland | 59.82 | 0.9 |
| 26 | Russia | 5.38 | 0.94 |
| 27 | Romania | 7.83 | 0.95 |
| 28 | Finland | 28.88 | 1 |
| 29 | Sweden | 28.17 | 1.04 |
| 30 | Spain | 20.38 | 1.06 |
| 31 | Malaysia | 8.76 | 1.08 |
| 32 | Andorra | 28.2 | 1.08 |
| 33 | Liberia | 22.5 | 1.11 |
| 34 | Lithuania | 14.59 | 1.12 |
| 35 | United States | 52.74 | 1.13 |
| 36 | Indonesia | 3.69 | 1.16 |
| 37 | Cyprus | 21.18 | 1.17 |
| 38 | Qatar | 47.47 | 1.17 |
| 39 | Turkey | 7.2 | 1.18 |
| 40 | Fiji | 13.42 | 1.18 |
| 41 | Japan | 26.73 | 1.18 |
| 42 | Brunei | 21.55 | 1.19 |
| 43 | Uzbekistan | 4.36 | 1.2 |
| 44 | France | 30.98 | 1.24 |
| 45 | Bahrain | 27.41 | 1.27 |
| 46 | Norway | 43.83 | 1.29 |
| 47 | Estonia | 20.73 | 1.29 |
| 48 | Vietnam | 5.92 | 1.32 |
| 49 | New Zealand | 38.82 | 1.33 |
| 50 | Timor-Leste | 30 | 1.35 |
| 51 | China | 13.39 | 1.38 |
| 52 | Ukraine | 5.72 | 1.42 |
| 53 | Guatemala | 19.2 | 1.43 |
| 54 | Somalia | 5 | 1.47 |
| 55 | Armenia | 8.91 | 1.47 |
| 56 | Sierra Leone | 25 | 1.49 |
| 57 | Uruguay | 16.41 | 1.51 |
| 58 | Moldova | 7.96 | 1.53 |
| 59 | Grenada | 18.5 | 1.58 |
| 60 | Latvia | 18.29 | 1.61 |
| 61 | Belarus | 7.77 | 1.61 |
| 62 | Canada | 48.04 | 1.65 |
| 63 | Kazakhstan | 9.79 | 1.68 |
| 64 | Taiwan | 28.18 | 1.68 |
| 65 | Burundi | 10 | 1.68 |
| 66 | Saudi Arabia | 35.8 | 1.7 |
| 67 | Malta | 27.16 | 1.7 |
| 68 | Croatia | 21.22 | 1.78 |
| 69 | United Arab Emirates | 61.53 | 1.8 |
| 70 | Chile | 11.89 | 1.82 |
| 71 | Portugal | 20.79 | 1.85 |
| 72 | Czech Republic | 28.76 | 1.86 |
| 73 | Bulgaria | 16.46 | 1.87 |
| 74 | Namibia | 13.66 | 1.9 |
| 75 | South Korea | 47.44 | 1.96 |
| 76 | Georgia | 10.01 | 2.04 |
| 77 | Mongolia | 7.43 | 2.11 |
| 78 | Cambodia | 5.94 | 2.13 |
| 79 | Oman | 45.69 | 2.15 |
| 80 | Palestine | 14.31 | 2.2 |
| 81 | Pakistan | 3.91 | 2.22 |
| 82 | Senegal | 9.07 | 2.24 |
| 83 | Nepal | 4.92 | 2.3 |
| 84 | Serbia | 15.76 | 2.3 |
| 85 | Greece | 22.8 | 2.35 |
| 86 | Djibouti | 36.55 | 2.36 |
| 87 | Bangladesh | 5.91 | 2.4 |
| 88 | Ecuador | 12.47 | 2.42 |
| 89 | South Africa | 31.18 | 2.43 |
| 90 | Kyrgyzstan | 7.61 | 2.43 |
| 91 | Jordan | 15.36 | 2.45 |
| 92 | Montenegro | 19.76 | 2.45 |
| 93 | Colombia | 9.17 | 2.46 |
| 94 | Solomon Islands | 13.07 | 2.53 |
| 95 | Morocco | 9.92 | 2.54 |
| 96 | Sri Lanka | 4.84 | 2.55 |
| 97 | Costa Rica | 22.89 | 2.58 |
| 98 | Thailand | 14.01 | 2.59 |
| 99 | Tonga | 21.14 | 2.66 |
| 100 | Hungary | 26.49 | 2.81 |
| 101 | Bosnia And Herzegovina | 18.25 | 2.82 |
| 102 | Antigua and Barbuda | 39.59 | 2.83 |
| 103 | Marshall Islands | 50 | 2.86 |
| 104 | Slovakia | 34.43 | 2.89 |
| 105 | Albania | 16.12 | 2.9 |
| 106 | Peru | 11.38 | 2.97 |
| 107 | Puerto Rico | 70 | 3.07 |
| 108 | Jamaica | 19.62 | 3.09 |
| 109 | Yemen | 11.5 | 3.12 |
| 110 | Libya | 9.27 | 3.2 |
| 111 | Mexico | 24.91 | 3.26 |
| 112 | Tunisia | 9.75 | 3.28 |
| 113 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 18.75 | 3.31 |
| 114 | Azerbaijan | 12.89 | 3.32 |
| 115 | North Macedonia | 17.39 | 3.38 |
| 116 | Vanuatu | 25.27 | 3.46 |
| 117 | Rwanda | 9.2 | 3.48 |
| 118 | Kenya | 11.49 | 3.5 |
| 119 | Mauritius | 20.08 | 3.54 |
| 120 | Botswana | 26.06 | 3.67 |
| 121 | Mauritania | 24.98 | 3.71 |
| 122 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 42 | 3.78 |
| 123 | Panama | 30.19 | 3.79 |
| 124 | Algeria | 11.61 | 3.99 |
| 125 | Togo | 23.1 | 4.2 |
| 126 | El Salvador | 17.52 | 4.21 |
| 127 | Argentina | 17.86 | 4.23 |
| 128 | Brazil | 19.41 | 4.26 |
| 129 | Myanmar | 11.84 | 4.29 |
| 130 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 37 | 4.3 |
| 131 | Bahamas | 71.49 | 4.31 |
| 132 | Iraq | 23.61 | 4.31 |
| 133 | Barbados | 50 | 4.39 |
| 134 | Dominican Republic | 18.24 | 4.62 |
| 135 | Zimbabwe | 16.3 | 4.76 |
| 136 | Tanzania | 11.9 | 4.81 |
| 137 | Sudan | 9.59 | 4.86 |
| 138 | Paraguay | 15.77 | 4.89 |
| 139 | Maldives | 48.3 | 4.89 |
| 140 | Comoros | 32.85 | 4.92 |
| 141 | Egypt | 9.03 | 5.05 |
| 142 | Belize | 49.65 | 5.16 |
| 143 | Nigeria | 5.71 | 5.25 |
| 144 | Trinidad and Tobago | 43.64 | 5.41 |
| 145 | Niger | 16.5 | 5.49 |
| 146 | Ethiopia | 11.57 | 5.56 |
| 147 | Ghana | 10.25 | 5.57 |
| 148 | Bolivia | 22.53 | 5.77 |
| 149 | Palau | 58.25 | 5.83 |
| 150 | Seychelles | 43.27 | 5.86 |
| 151 | Nicaragua | 16.19 | 6.43 |
| 152 | Guyana | 27.88 | 6.48 |
| 153 | Venezuela | 13 | 6.69 |
| 154 | Eswatini | 33.15 | 6.72 |
| 155 | Uganda | 13.12 | 6.72 |
| 156 | Angola | 21.28 | 6.77 |
| 157 | Gabon | 33 | 6.98 |
| 158 | Laos | 40.19 | 7.18 |
| 159 | Mozambique | 19.24 | 7.23 |
| 160 | Chad | 24.75 | 7.5 |
| 161 | Afghanistan | 15.17 | 7.62 |
| 162 | Bhutan | 36.13 | 8.05 |
| 163 | Tajikistan | 13.77 | 8.09 |
| 164 | Gambia | 22.25 | 9.38 |
| 165 | Madagascar | 13.15 | 9.42 |
| 166 | Saint Lucia | 111.01 | 9.6 |
| 167 | Suriname | 25 | 9.68 |
| 168 | Dominica | 48.1 | 11.14 |
| 169 | Micronesia | 40 | 11.24 |
| 170 | Philippines | 41.46 | 11.42 |
| 171 | Lebanon | 57.66 | 13.72 |
| 172 | Benin | 41.33 | 14.56 |
| 173 | Cameroon | 24.75 | 15.39 |
| 174 | Cuba | 40 | 17.09 |
| 175 | Papua New Guinea | 62.81 | 21.81 |
| 176 | Syria | 9.91 | 22.11 |
| 177 | Ivory Coast | 41.25 | 23.2 |
| 178 | Zambia | 87.12 | 30.29 |
| 179 | Guinea | 115.58 | 56.29 |