Daniel Slotta
Research expert covering Greater China
Internet usage in Brazil - statistics & facts
Holding the fifth-largest digital population in the world and the biggest within Latin America and the Caribbean, Brazil presents a wealth of opportunities within its dynamic yet still challenging internet landscape. With over 161.4 million online users, the country has significantly benefited from the regional increase in mobile connectivity, as nearly every internet user in Brazil has accessed the web via their mobile phones during the last five years. As the gap in online access among different social classes and regions continues to close, social media has become central to public life in Brazil. As internet usage continues to grow, competition among online platforms is expected to intensify, with social and commerce platforms eager to take advantage of the country’s rich digital environment.
 
 
  Brazil's online audience keeps expanding due to increased mobile adoption, solidifying the country’s role as a regional and global digital leader. Despite ongoing inequalities in internet access, sectors like social media and e-commerce pushed the country’s online landscape forward, playing a central role in communication and commerce, thus even reflecting the nation’s political landscape. Nonetheless, the growth of the country’s e-commerce sector shows its force on a global scale, enhancing the internet’s integration into daily life and positioning Brazil as a key player in the global digital economy.
 
Extensive usage, unequal access
Improvements in Brazil’s digital access are especially noticeable as the share of mobile traffic in the country surpassed desktop traffic for the first time in 2022, now representing over 55 percent of the country’s online push. Despite having one of the largest desktop traffic shares among major Latin American internet markets, at least 60 percent of the population accesses the internet solely through smartphones. Although the country’s internet affordability and speed have improved in recent years, Brazil ranks only above Mexico in terms of internet penetration among the largest markets in Latin America and the Caribbean. Urban areas show at least a 10 percent disparity in internet availability, indicating that despite the strength of its online market, the country still faces online and social contradictions common to the rest of Latin America and the Caribbean.Social media and the ubiquity of instant messaging
Social media is the most prominent topic within the Brazilian internet landscape: the widespread popularity and extensive use of social platforms among Brazilians have created fertile ground for sectors like influencer, advertising, and social commerce markets. Instant messaging remains the primary online activity for the Brazilian population, with WhatsApp being installed on nearly every smartphone in the country. The app’s astonishing local popularity has practically turned it into a local super app, facilitating mobile payments and social commerce. Overall, Meta-owned networks like Instagram and Facebook cement the conglomerate’s dominance over the Brazilian social media landscape, but competition has greatly increased in the last three years with platforms like YouTube and TikTok. 
Regional e-commerce leader
Representing over 32 percent of e-commerce in Latin America, Brazil is Latin America and the Caribbean's largest online shopping market, with revenues reaching nearly 40 billion U.S. dollars in 2024. With approximately 70 percent of the nation's population engaging in online shopping, most sales in the local sector come from mobile devices, highlighting the growth of the m-commerce trend. As competition among digital companies has intensified, the entry of platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram into the online commerce space is likely to heat the landscape even further in Latin America’s biggest online market.  Brazil's online audience keeps expanding due to increased mobile adoption, solidifying the country’s role as a regional and global digital leader. Despite ongoing inequalities in internet access, sectors like social media and e-commerce pushed the country’s online landscape forward, playing a central role in communication and commerce, thus even reflecting the nation’s political landscape. Nonetheless, the growth of the country’s e-commerce sector shows its force on a global scale, enhancing the internet’s integration into daily life and positioning Brazil as a key player in the global digital economy.
