Internet usage in Brazil – statistics & facts

Connected they stand

Brazilians use the internet mainly to stay in touch with each other. More than nine out of 10 users go online to send instant messages. Similarly, other leading internet activities in Brazil entail contacting people: social media, voice or video call, and content sharing. Besides global brands like Google and Facebook, the list of most visited websites include major Brazilian content providers such as UOL, which is the digital branch São Paulo-based Grupo Folha, and Globo – a media holding headquartered in Rio de Janeiro. Brazil also has what it takes to expand its online market. In other Latin American countries, infrastructure and pricing may still present a challenge to internet access. In Brazil, more people stay away from the web because of concerns with privacy rather than because of the costs involved. Yet roughly three out of four Brazilians online think it is important to have mobile internet access in any place at any time. Unlike the aforementioned song, this seems to be a love story with many strings attached.

The influence of mobile internet

Around one third of Brazil’s web traffic is generated via mobile phones. Practically all the online population accesses the internet through this type of device. The impact of the massification of smartphones in the South American country is still to be fully measured, but it is already possible to observe the transformation that it is leading up to. In 2015, when Brazil was home to nearly 111 million mobile phone internet users, mobile commerce accounted for approximately one tenth of total online shopping transactions. Four years later, with Brazil now having around 141.2 million mobile internet users, m-commerce represented over 43 percent of all e-commerce transactions. The ongoing effects on mass consumption also boost the usage of mobile apps, with more than seven out of 10 smartphone owners using ride-hailing and food delivery platforms through mobile applications. By all measures, Brazilians will continue to seek solutions in the palm of their hands.

This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.