Digital 2022: Western Sahara
This page contains all the data, insights, and trends you need to help you understand how people in Western Sahara use connected devices and services in 2022.
You’ll find our complete Digital 2022 report on Western Sahara in the “full report” section below, but let’s start by taking a look at the essential headlines for digital adoption and use in Western Sahara this year.
Western Sahara’s population in 2022
Western Sahara’s total population was 619.0 thousand in January 2022.
Data show that Western Sahara’s population increased by 14 thousand (+2.4 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
47.8 percent of Western Sahara’s population is female, while 52.2 percent of the population is male.
At the start of 2022, 87.0 percent of Western Sahara’s population lived in urban centres, while 13.0 percent lived in rural areas.
Note: gender data are currently only available for “female” and “male”.
Western Sahara’s population by age
The median age of the population in Western Sahara is 29.0.
For additional context, here’s a look at how the population in Western Sahara breaks down by age group:
9.0 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 0 and 4.
14.5 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 5 and 12.
8.0 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 13 and 17.
11.4 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 18 and 24.
18.0 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 25 and 34.
16.6 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 35 and 44.
11.6 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 45 and 54.
7.0 percent of Western Sahara’s population is between the ages of 55 and 64.
3.9 percent of Western Sahara’s population is aged 65 and above.
Note: percentages may not sum to 100 percent due to rounding.
Internet use in Western Sahara in 2022
There were 379.3 thousand internet users in Western Sahara in January 2022.
Western Sahara’s internet penetration rate stood at 61.3 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
Kepios analysis indicates that internet users in Western Sahara decreased by 700 (-0.2 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
For perspective, these user figures reveal that 239.7 thousand people in Western Sahara did not use the internet at the start of 2022, meaning that 38.7 percent of the population remained offline at the beginning of the year.
However, issues relating to COVID-19 continue to impact research into internet adoption, so actual internet user figures may be higher than these published numbers suggest (see here for further details).
For the latest insights into internet adoption and use around the world, follow our regular Global Statshot reports.
Internet connection speeds in Western Sahara in 2022
Data published by Ookla indicate that internet users in Western Sahara could have expected the following internet connection speeds at the start of 2022:
Median fixed internet connection speed: 11.02 Mbps.
Ookla’s data shows that fixed internet connection speeds in Western Sahara increased by 2.81 Mbps (+34.2 percent) in the twelve months to the start of 2022.
Social media statistics for Western Sahara in 2022
There were 388.2 thousand social media users in Western Sahara in January 2022.
The number of social media users in Western Sahara at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 62.7 percent of the total population, but it’s important to note that social media users may not represent unique individuals (see our detailed notes on data to learn why).
Kepios analysis reveals that social media users in Western Sahara increased by 8,150 (+2.1 percent) between 2021 and 2022.
Facebook users in Western Sahara in 2022
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicates that Facebook had 305.9 thousand users in Western Sahara in early 2022.
However, Meta made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data at the end of 2021 – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook – so the figures shown here are not directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.
To learn more about these changes, please see this article, as well as our comprehensive notes on data.
The company’s revised audience figures mean that Facebook’s ad reach in Western Sahara was equivalent to 49.4 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
However, Facebook restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s also worth highlighting that 64.6 percent of the “eligible” audience in Western Sahara uses Facebook in 2022.
For additional context, Facebook’s ad reach in Western Sahara was equivalent to 80.6 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) in January 2022.
At the start of 2022, 36.0 percent of Facebook’s ad audience in Western Sahara was female, while 64.0 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more Facebook stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook data for every country in the world.
Instagram users in Western Sahara in 2022
Numbers published in Meta’s advertising tools indicate that Instagram had 157.5 thousand users in Western Sahara in early 2022.
This figure suggests that Instagram’s ad reach in Western Sahara was equivalent to 25.4 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
However, Instagram restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above, so it’s helpful to know that 33.2 percent of the “eligible” audience in Western Sahara uses Instagram in 2022.
It’s also worth noting that Instagram’s ad reach in Western Sahara at the start of 2022 was equivalent to 41.5 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
In early 2022, 43.4 percent of Instagram’s ad audience in Western Sahara was female, while 56.6 percent was male.
Note: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more Instagram stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Instagram data for every country in the world.
Facebook Messenger users in Western Sahara in 2022
Data published in Meta’s advertising resources indicate that ads on Facebook Messenger reached 151.9 thousand users in Western Sahara in early 2022.
However, Meta made important changes to the way its advertising resources report audience reach data at the end of 2021 – including making significant revisions to its base audience data for Facebook Messenger – so the figures shown here are not directly comparable with figures published in our previous reports.
To learn more about these changes, please see this article, as well as our comprehensive notes on data.
The company’s revised audience numbers suggest that Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in Western Sahara was equivalent to 24.5 percent of the total population at the start of the year.
Facebook Messenger restricts the use of its platform to people aged 13 and above though, so it’s also worth highlighting that ads reach 32.0 percent of Facebook Messenger’s “eligible” audience in Western Sahara in 2022.
For additional context, Facebook Messenger’s ad reach in Western Sahara is equivalent to 40.0 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age).
At the start of 2022, 33.0 percent of Facebook Messenger’s ad audience in Western Sahara was female, while 67.0 percent was male.
Notes: Meta’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more Facebook Messenger stats? Click here to explore our in-depth Facebook Messenger data for every country in the world.
LinkedIn users in Western Sahara in 2022
Figures published in LinkedIn’s advertising resources indicate that LinkedIn had 19.0 thousand “members” in Western Sahara in early 2022.
However, note that LinkedIn’s advertising tools publish audience reach data based on total registered members, rather than the monthly active users that form the basis of the ad reach figures published by most other social media platforms.
As a result, these LinkedIn figures are not directly comparable with the figures for other social media platforms published on this page, or in our Digital 2022 reports.
The company’s advertising reach figures suggest that LinkedIn’s audience in Western Sahara was equivalent to 3.1 percent of the total population at the start of 2022.
LinkedIn restricts the use of its platform to people aged 18 and above though, so it’s also helpful to know that 4.5 percent of the “eligible” audience in Western Sahara uses LinkedIn in 2022.
For additional context, LinkedIn’s ad reach in Western Sahara was equivalent to 5.0 percent of the local internet user base (regardless of age) at the start of the year.
In early 2022, 29.1 percent of LinkedIn’s ad audience in Western Sahara was female, while 70.9 percent was male.
Note: LinkedIn’s advertising resources only publish audience gender data for “female” and “male” users.
Looking for more LinkedIn stats? Click here to explore our in-depth LinkedIn data for every country in the world.
Additional resources
Just before we get to the full report, here are some suggestions for further reading, which will provide additional context for our full set of Digital 2022 numbers for Western Sahara:
Read our complete Digital 2022 Global Overview Report to get a comprehensive overview of the “state of digital” around the world in 2022.
Click here to see all of the Global Digital Reports we’ve published on Western Sahara over the past decade.
Explore all of our reports on countries in Northern Africa by clicking here.
Visit our complete online reports library to find all of the (free!) reports in the Global Digital Reports series.
If you’d like to receive updates when we publish new reports, click here to sign up for our newsletter.
Full report
You’ll find our complete Digital 2022: Western Sahara report in the SlideShare embed below (click here if that’s not working for you).