Internet usage in Russia - statistics & facts

Russia has the sixth-largest online population worldwide. With an increasing penetration rate, the Russian internet, also known as RuNet, plays a significant role in the country's society. In recent years, the population has become more connected, as the internet assisted Russians in their daily life, enabling them to pay the bills, order food or a taxi, and communicate via social media. The young generation is particularly tech-savvy, as Russian children get their own digital devices at an early age, using them to access social networks, video services, and games. During the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many Russians learned new online skills while adapting to remote working arrangements or distance education and increased their use of digital services.

How do Russians access the internet?

Eight out of ten Russian households connected to the internet via smartphones, mobile phones, electronic books, or personal digital assistants (PDAs). The country was forecast to have nearly 125 million mobile internet users in 2028. The 5G infrastructure is still under development, challenged by high costs and policy complications, as higher frequencies are occupied by national security authorities. The number of mobile broadband subscriptions was projected at over 152 million in 2023, which was over four times higher than the fixed broadband connections count.

What are the major internet companies in Russia?

A major characteristic of the Russian internet is a wide availability of the country's own online resources. The leading internet corporations are Yandex and Mail.ru Group. Both companies provide a variety of services, such as a search engine, food delivery, mobility apps, maps, or news aggregators. Furthermore, they expanded their businesses with Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, such as smart home devices and virtual assistants. When it comes to social media, the user count of domestic platforms like VK, or Vkontakte, Telegram, the ban on which was lifted in June 2020, and Ok.ru, or Odnoklassniki, was among the highest in the country. In the e-commerce segment, the largest online retailer was Wildberries.

Russia's sovereign internet

Freedom House ranked Russia's internet freedom at 23 out of 100 points in 2022, as the internet use is limited by state-led interventions, such as information bans and site blockings. The government is pursuing the 'sovereign internet' policy, amending the national legislation to ensure a centralized management of the RuNet by the state. In 2020, free access was enabled to domestic online resources that were considered socially essential. Starting from April 2021, smartphones, computers, and smart TV devices sold in the country had to have Russian software pre-installed on them. At the end of 2021, the government demanded several foreign tech companies, such as Google, Meta, Apple, TikTok, and Twitter, to open a subsidiary in Russia to comply with the country's regulations.
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.
Published by Statista Research Department, Aug 31, 2023

Key insights

Internet user penetration in Russia
83.42%
Forecast number of internet users in Russia
114.78m
Average internet connection speed in Russia
16.05 Mbit/s
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