Average Screen Time by Country: Highest and Lowest in the World

Screen time is not evenly distributed across the planet. Between the country at the top of the table and the country at the bottom sits a gap of more than five and a half hours a day — the difference between a habit and a second job. Below is the full ranking of 49 countries, split by total screen time, mobile and computer, using DataReportal figures compiled by Comparitech.

Which country has the highest screen time?

South Africa has the highest screen time in the world, at about 9 hours 24 minutes a day. That is over 60% of a South African's waking hours spent in front of a phone or computer, assuming eight hours of sleep. Brazil follows at 9h 13m and the Philippines at 8h 52m.

The countries with the most screen time cluster in Africa, South America and South-East Asia — not, as people often assume, in the wealthiest or fastest-connected nations. Five of the top ten are in the global south, and the U.A.E. is the only high-income Gulf state to make it.

Which country has the lowest screen time?

Japan has the lowest screen time in the world, at 3 hours 56 minutes a day — the only country in the dataset under four hours, and barely 26% of waking hours. Denmark (5h 08m) and South Korea (5h 19m) come next, followed by a tight cluster of Western European countries: Belgium, France and Germany all sit at exactly 5h 22m.

Japan's number is striking because it isn't a connectivity story. Japan has excellent fixed and mobile internet and near-universal smartphone ownership. Its mobile screen time is 1h 54m — less than half the global figure — which points at culture and commuting patterns rather than access.

What is the average screen time worldwide?

The worldwide average is 6 hours 40 minutes a day across all internet-connected devices: 3h 50m on mobile and 2h 50m on a computer. That is roughly 42% of waking hours for someone sleeping eight hours a night.

One caveat worth knowing, because you'll see both numbers quoted: the global figure moves between about 6h 40m and 6h 54m depending on which DataReportal release and country set is used, and whether TV and gaming consoles are counted. The table below uses a single consistent 49-country dataset, so the countries are comparable with each other even where the headline global number differs by a few minutes from our broader screen time statistics roundup.

Average screen time by country: the full ranking

All 49 countries, ranked by total daily screen time. The worldwide average row is highlighted so you can see where each country falls against it.

Mobile vs computer: the ranking changes completely

Split the total and two different pictures appear.

• Highest mobile screen time: the Philippines at 5h 20m, then Brazil (5h 19m) and South Africa (5h 15m). These are mobile-first countries where the phone is the internet.
• Highest computer screen time: Russia at 4h 24m, ahead of South Africa (4h 09m) and Argentina (4h 05m) — a desktop-heavy profile that pushes Russia's total to 8h 21m despite mid-table mobile use.
• Lowest on both: Japan, at 1h 54m mobile and 2h 02m computer.

The distinction matters if you're trying to cut your own number. Computer time is largely work and mostly deliberate. Mobile time is where the compulsive, low-value minutes live — which is why phone-side limits move the total far more than desktop ones do.

Why the gap between countries is so large

No single variable explains a five-and-a-half-hour spread, but a few patterns hold across the dataset:

• Social media share. High-screen-time countries spend more of it on social. South Africans average 3h 41m a day on social media alone — more than Japan spends on all screens combined.
• Number of accounts. South Africa, the Philippines and the U.A.E. all average roughly 8 social accounts per person; Japan averages 3.8 and South Korea 4.3.
• Commuting and work culture. Countries with long office hours and dense public transport don't automatically score high — Japan and South Korea sit at the bottom despite both.
• It isn't internet speed. Comparitech found essentially no correlation between connection speed and screen time. The U.A.E. has the fastest mobile internet in the set at 325 Mbps and sits ninth; Japan has solid speeds and finishes last.

There is, encouragingly, movement. In the most recent update 27 of the 49 countries reduced their average screen time year on year. Hong Kong cut the most — 50 minutes a day — while Russia added 17 minutes and Turkey 16.

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