{"id":149852,"date":"2023-07-06T08:39:21","date_gmt":"2023-07-06T08:39:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/?p=149852"},"modified":"2024-05-08T13:11:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-08T13:11:51","slug":"world-population-day","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.similarweb.com\/blog\/insights\/world-population-day\/","title":{"rendered":"World Population Day 2023: What Country Generates the Most Traffic to the Largest Websites?"},"content":{"rendered":"

World Population Day is an annual event that draws attention to global population issues. As the world’s population continues to grow (expected to reach 8 billion this October<\/a>) and becomes more interconnected, it is interesting to look at different countries’ traffic contributions to the most visited websites<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In this article, we will analyze the geopolitical forces that shape these contributions. By examining the connection between population dynamics and online activity, we draw valuable insights regarding the digital landscape and its relationship with socio-political factors.<\/p>\n

What is World Population Day, and where did it originate from?<\/h2>\n

On 11 July 1987, the world observed the Day of Five Billion. This ignited UN resolution 45\/216 in December 1990, in which the UN General Assembly decided to continue observing World Population Day to raise awareness of the relationship between population and development and environmental issues.<\/p>\n

Ever since its inaugural day in 1990, World Population Day has been marked on 11 July. It is observed by the UNFPA<\/a> (UN Population Fund) in collaboration with governments and civil society organizations.<\/p>\n

What is the theme for World Population Day 2023?<\/h2>\n

According to the UNFPA<\/a>, World Population Day 2023 will focus on gender equality. Women and girls make up 49.7% of our world\u2019s population. Their marginalization in education, the workforce, and leadership positions limits their ability to make decisions about their health and puts them at greater risk of becoming victims of violence.<\/p>\n

This is also reflected in internet usage. Our data show a significant 16% gap in the gender distribution<\/a> of web traffic<\/a> to the world\u2019s top 100 visited websites.<\/p>\n

\"Gender<\/p>\n

This is a key indicator of the gap in connectivity between male and female internet users. The internet is known to be a source of social mobilization<\/a>. It is no coincidence that the gap in internet usage is much bigger in developing second and third-world countries than in developed countries.<\/p>\n

\"Internet<\/p>\n

Overpopulation is a concern. What about excessive traffic?<\/h2>\n

The concerns that the UN wishes to address by observing World Population Day, and mainly the threat of overpopulation on the environment, also relate to online traffic. As the population grows, so does online internet usage. Not only are there more people in the world but also a growing percentage of the population now has access to the Internet.<\/p>\n

\"Percentage<\/p>\n

Every online activity, such as an email, an instant message, or a single search, is powered by energy. Whether it is the electricity that powers our devices, or the vast energy used to power the data centers and servers. According to the BBC, internet activity accounts for approximately 3.7% of emitted greenhouse gasses<\/a>, equivalent to the entire global airline industry.<\/p>\n

Which country is responsible for the most online traffic?<\/h2>\n

To answer this question, we analyzed the geographical traffic share<\/a> of the 100 websites with the most visits over the last 12 months (June 2022 – May 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Country<\/b><\/td>\nPopulation<\/b><\/a><\/td>\nTraffic to top 100 websites<\/b><\/td>\nVisits per capita<\/b><\/td>\nPercentage of world population<\/b><\/td>\nTraffic share<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
USA<\/td>\n340.0M<\/td>\n678.5B<\/td>\n1995.4<\/td>\n4.25%<\/td>\n17.42%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Japan<\/td>\n123.286M<\/td>\n230.4B<\/td>\n1868.8<\/td>\n1.54%<\/td>\n5.91%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
India<\/td>\n1.428B<\/td>\n223.9B<\/td>\n156.7<\/td>\n17.70%<\/td>\n5.75%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Russia<\/td>\n144.43M<\/td>\n213.4B<\/td>\n1477.4<\/td>\n1.8%<\/td>\n5.48%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Brazil<\/td>\n216.43M<\/td>\n179.4B<\/td>\n828.8<\/td>\n2.7%<\/td>\n4.61%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
China<\/td>\n1.425B<\/td>\n163.4B<\/td>\n114.5<\/td>\n18.47%<\/td>\n4.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
United Kingdom<\/td>\n67.73M<\/td>\n138.4B<\/td>\n2043.1<\/td>\n0.87%<\/td>\n3.55%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Germany<\/td>\n83.29M<\/td>\n111.5B<\/td>\n1338.6<\/td>\n1.07%<\/td>\n2.86%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
France<\/td>\n64.75M<\/td>\n94.07B<\/td>\n1452.6<\/td>\n0.84%<\/td>\n2.41%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Mexico<\/td>\n128.46M<\/td>\n91.90B<\/td>\n715.3<\/td>\n1.65%<\/td>\n2.36%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Unsurprisingly, the USA leads by a landslide. It accounts for roughly a fifth of all online activity. Why? Well, we can think of a few reasons:<\/p>\n