World Sites & Apps
Oceania · #216 · 2025–2026

Cook Islands: internet and everyday apps

Cook Islands has about 12 thousand people online — a penetration rate of 80% and rank #216 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 7 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 12 thousand Penetration 80.0% World rank #216 Updated 2026-11-12
TL;DR
  • Cook Islands has roughly 12 thousand internet users (12,000 people) — about 80% of the population and rank #216 globally.
  • The apps people open most: WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram. They cover Messaging, Social, Video, Payments and more.
  • The one to know first: WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

Cook Islands in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
12 thousand12,000 · #216
Penetration
80.0%#113
Population
15 thousand15,000 · #217
GDP
$0B#213
GDP growth
+3.5%#100
GDP per person
$26,667#63
Land area
236 km²#203
Capital
Avarua
Region
Oceania
Official languages
English, Cook Islands Māori

How Cook Islands goes online

Avarua's Facebook page is the island's bulletin board. Church notices, ferry schedules, school events and the small marketplace all appear there, and WhatsApp handles the private side. Tourism and remittances keep the local services busy, and the Cook Islands News carries the official stories. The population is small enough that a single post can reach most of the people who need it. Coverage is stable for the main island, though the outer islands still depend on whatever link can be maintained.

Around 80%. With a population of about 15 thousand and 12 thousand online, roughly 3 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

All 7 apps below are grouped by category.

What people actually use

7 Most-used apps

Messaging

2 Most-used apps →
WhatsApp Messaging · Meta · 2009 Messenger Messaging · Meta · 2011

Social

2 Most-used apps →
Facebook Social · Meta · 2004 Instagram Social · Meta · 2010

Video

2 Most-used apps →
YouTube Video · Google · 2005 TikTok Video · ByteDance · 2016

Payments

1 Most-used apps →
PayPal Payments · PayPal · 1998

Websites people in Cook Islands actually use

7

The 7 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

Government3News1Transport1Banking1Travel1
Ministry of Finance and Economic ManagementGovernmentmfem.gov.ckTax deadlines and the revenue notices are on mfem.gov.ck, and everybody checks it in March. Business Trade and Investment BoardGovernmentbtib.gov.ckIf you want to open a shop or a tour business, btib.gov.ck is where the paperwork starts. Cook Islands GovernmentGovernmentcookislands.gov.ckMinistries, and the outer-island shipping schedule. Cook Islands NewsNewscookislandsnews.comCook Islands News is the paper on the counter in Avarua, and the site carries the same stories. Air RarotongaTransportairraro.comTo get from Rarotonga to Aitutaki you fly Air Rarotonga, and the site is where I book before the seats for the day trip disappear. Bank of the Cook IslandsBankingbci.co.ckThe Bank of the Cook Islands has the only branches on the outer islands, and the site is where I check the fees before I send money home. Cook Islands TourismTravelcookislands.travelThe lagoon, and which island to pick.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

6 Q&A
How many people in Cook Islands are online?

About 12 thousand (12,000 people). That works out to roughly 80% of the population, which puts Cook Islands at #216 in the world for total internet users. Figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026, which draws on ITU and national statistics.

Which apps do people in Cook Islands use most?

Mostly WhatsApp, Messenger, Facebook, Instagram — they cover Messaging, Social, Video, Payments. The full list, grouped by category, is further down this page.

What is the leading Messaging app in Cook Islands?

WhatsApp, Messenger dominate this space. The best-known is WhatsApp — The most widely used messenger on earth.

How high is internet penetration in Cook Islands?

Around 80%. With a population of about 15 thousand and 12 thousand online, roughly 3 thousand people are still offline — mostly because of rural coverage, device cost and age.

Where do these app facts come from?

Usage figures come from DataReportal’s Digital 2026 (Kepios, based on ITU and national statistics); app details come from each product’s official site. Updated 2026-11-12.

Which websites are most popular in Cook Islands?

The everyday ones are Cook Islands News, Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, Business Trade and Investment Board, plus the other 7 sites listed above. They cover news, shopping, search, banking and official paperwork, and every link points to the official site.

Sources

Updated 2026-11-12
Cite this pageWorld Sites & Apps. “Cook Islands: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/ck.html