Where does Ghana stand among the nations with the cheapest mobile data?

Ghana placed 40th with an average price of $0.61 (¢5.12) per gigabyte after 12 data plans were examined.

Ghana has made it onto the list of countries with the cheapest mobile data in the world.

This conclusion came from a survey conducted by The Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing 2022 report.

It was compiled by Cable.co.uk, which saw data from 5,292 mobile data plans analysed from 233 countries.

The findings were based on how much one gigabyte (GB) of data costs in the selected countries.

Ghana placed 40th with an average price of $0.61 (¢5.12) per gigabyte after 12 data plans were examined.

Ghana placed 40th with an average price of $0.61 (GH₵ 5.12) per gigabyte

In Africa, however, Ghana is ranked second after Libya. Somalia and Morocco came in third and fourth, respectively.

In all, Israel comes top with $0.04 (GH₵ 0.34) per GB, followed by Italy, San Marino and Fiji as countries whose users enjoy the cheapest mobile data.

According to Cable.co.uk, Israel has multiple service providers that offer extensive 4G LTE and 5G network coverage, adding that it also has a higher smartphone market penetration than the US.

A British Overseas Territory, Saint Helena, had the most expensive mobile date prices, as the report pegged a gigabyte at $41.06 (GH₵ 345.77).

The findings suggest that countries with good 4G or 5G infrastructure are more likely to enjoy less costly mobile data plans.

Africa’s mobile data situation

The 2022 Worldwide Mobile Pricing report found that five of the 10 most expensive countries to buy mobile data worldwide are in sub-Saharan Africa.

Mobile data is so costly in these countries that 1 GB costs at least $10 (GH₵ 84.21), which is 250 times more expensive than Israel, the country said to have the world’s cheapest data.

In São Tomé and Príncipe, 1 GB of data costs $29 (GH₵ 244.21). It is $16 (GH₵ 134.74) in Botswana, while Togo buys a gigabyte for $13 (GH₵ 109.47).

Seychelles buys it for $13 (GH₵ 109.47) and Namibia, $11 (GH₵ 92.63). These are the other African countries with the most expensive data packages.

This predicament goes a long way to affect economic growth and job creation.