What are the links between whether a country is developing or developed and their number of internet users?

In general, the more developed a country is, the larger the percentage of its population that uses the internet.  There are two ways in which these two variables are connected.

First, these two variables are connected because greater wealth and development allows more people to use the internet.  If a country is poor, not very many people will be able to afford computers.  If a country is poor, the infrastructure needed for accessing the internet...

In general, the more developed a country is, the larger the percentage of its population that uses the internet.  There are two ways in which these two variables are connected.

First, these two variables are connected because greater wealth and development allows more people to use the internet.  If a country is poor, not very many people will be able to afford computers.  If a country is poor, the infrastructure needed for accessing the internet will be inadequate.  There will be many places without the needed wiring or access to wi-fi.  For these reasons, a poor country is likely to have a lower percentage of its population able to access the internet.

Second, these two variables are connected because using the internet can help to create wealth.  In developed countries, the internet is used for all sorts of business-related purposes.  Companies use the internet to sell their goods to customers, thus making the firms wealthier and allowing the economy to grow.  Companies use the internet in the course of creating goods and services. Students at all levels of education can use the internet to increase their educational levels and thus prepare themselves for better jobs that do more to increase the country’s wealth.  A country that does not have good internet infrastructure will be handicapped as it tries to create wealth.

In these ways, we can see that the internet is both a measure of development and a factor that can help a country develop.  If a country has not developed yet, it is likely that it will have a smaller percentage of its population using the internet.