World Sites & Apps
Oceania · #175 · 2025–2026

Solomon Islands: internet and everyday apps

Solomon Islands has about 350 thousand people online — a penetration rate of 42.7% and rank #175 worldwide. This page walks through the local digital scene, the app categories people lean on, and 7 apps worth knowing.

Internet users 350 thousand Penetration 42.7% World rank #175 Updated 2026-11-12
TL;DR
  • Solomon Islands has roughly 350 thousand internet users (350,000 people) — about 42.7% of the population and rank #175 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.

Solomon Islands in numbers

2025–2026
Internet users
350 thousand350,000 · #175
Penetration
42.7%#180
Population
820 thousand820,000 · #165
GDP
$2B#200
GDP growth
+3.0%#124
GDP per person
$1,951#179
Land area
28.9k km²#141
Capital
Honiara
Region
Oceania
Official languages
English

How Solomon Islands goes online

Honiara's connection is thin, and the phone is still the main way onto it. Facebook and WhatsApp cover the social and practical side, from church notices to the price of a boat ticket, and the local paper's site and the national broadcaster carry the news. Mobile coverage fades quickly outside the capital, so a radio is still a serious piece of equipment. The country runs on a handful of networks and a lot of patience, and most people plan their online errands around where the signal holds.

Around 42.7%. With a population of about 820 thousand and 350 thousand online, roughly 470 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 Solomon Islands actually use

9

The 9 sites locals open most often — news, shopping, search, banking and government services. Every link goes to the official site.

News1TV & media1Government1Travel1Banking1Transport1Utilities1Education1Mail1
Solomon StarNewssolomonstarnews.comI still buy the Star at the shop on Mendana Avenue, but the site is where I check the shipping notices. Solomon Islands Broadcasting CorporationTV & mediasibconline.com.sbSIBC is on in every taxi, and I read the same bulletins on the site when I miss the broadcast. Solomon Islands GovernmentGovernmentsolomons.gov.sbAnything official, from tenders to ministry notices, I start at solomons.gov.sb. Visit Solomon IslandsTravelvisitsolomons.com.sbWhen friends ask about the wrecks and Marovo Lagoon, I just send them to Visit Solomon Islands. Central Bank of Solomon IslandsBankingcbsi.com.sbThe Central Bank sets the rules for the few banks we have, and its site is where I check the exchange rate before changing money in Honiara. Solomon AirlinesTransportflysolomons.comThe national carrier, island hopping included. Solomon PowerUtilitiessolomonpower.com.sbThe power utility. Solomon Islands National UniversityEducationsinu.edu.sbThe national university. Solomon PostMailsolomonpost.com.sbThe postal service.

2808 websites →

Frequently asked questions

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

About 350 thousand (350,000 people). That works out to roughly 42.7% of the population, which puts Solomon Islands at #175 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 Solomon 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 Solomon Islands?

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

How high is internet penetration in Solomon Islands?

Around 42.7%. With a population of about 820 thousand and 350 thousand online, roughly 470 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 Solomon Islands?

The everyday ones are Solomon Star, Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation, Solomon Islands Government, plus the other 9 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. “Solomon Islands: internet and everyday apps”. 2026. https://abcvv.com/c/sb.html