On 17 November 2025, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) published its report “Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures 2025”, which documents that while approximately 6 billion people (three quarters of the world’s population) use the internet, more than 2.2 billion people still lack access—mostly in low- and middle-income countries.
Progress and inequality are two themes that run throughout the report.
In the report’s introduction, Dr. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU, states that:
“More than 96% of the world’s population is covered by a mobile broadband network, bringing us closer to universal access. However, many low-income countries still rely mainly on 3G, which limits what users can do online.”
He also notes that although internet access keeps getting cheaper, only about two-thirds of economies have reached a level considered affordable.
In low- and middle-income countries, internet services exceed the purchasing power of nearly 60% of people, preventing them from getting online or limiting their ability to fully participate in the digital economy and society.
These affordability barriers, together with gaps in service quality, determine who manages to get connected and to what extent they can participate.
Below we share some of the data included in the report.
The global digital divide is narrowing, but progress is slowing
In 2025, three out of every four people in the world already use the internet. According to the latest international data, 74% of the population is connected, a slight increase from 71% in 2024.
However, more than 2.2 billion people remain offline, mainly in low- and middle-income countries.
Connectivity: uneven progress
The expansion of mobile networks has been key: 96% of the world’s population lives in areas covered by mobile broadband. Even so, many low-income countries continue to rely on 3G networks, which limit connection speed and quality.
The rollout of 5G technology is advancing but in a highly unequal manner.
In high-income countries, 5G already covers 84% of the population, compared to just 4% in low-income countries. Europe and Asia-Pacific lead coverage rates, while Africa and the Arab States lag far behind.
4G networks, by contrast, are widely deployed and cover 93% of the global population, though this figure drops sharply in rural areas and in lower-income countries.
A divide marked by wealth, geography, and gender
Internet access is closely linked to a country’s level of economic development. While 94% of people in high-income countries use the internet, only 23% do so in low-income countries.
Significant disparities also persist between urban and rural areas: 85% of city dwellers use the internet compared to 58% of people in rural areas.
The gender gap remains an unresolved issue. Globally, men are more likely to be online and more likely to own a mobile phone.
In 2025, there are 280 million more men connected than women—an imbalance concentrated mainly in the poorest countries.
Mobile subscriptions on the rise
In 2025, there are 9.2 billion mobile subscriptions—far exceeding the world’s population.
Mobile broadband already accounts for 89% of all mobile lines and continues to replace voice-only services.
However, not all regions advance at the same pace: while the Americas have 132 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, Africa has only 56.
Growth in 5G subscriptions also reflects these disparities: in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific, more than 40% of mobile lines already use 5G, while in Africa the percentage remains minimal.
Affordability: the major barrier
Although internet prices have fallen, they remain too high for millions of people.
In low-income countries, a fixed broadband subscription can cost more than one quarter of the average monthly income.
Even mobile broadband—more accessible overall—remains up to 22 times more expensive, relative to income, than in high-income countries.
Universal connectivity
The path to universal connectivity is progressing but slowing down.
Regions with the greatest economic limitations continue to fall behind in coverage, quality, and affordability. The digital divide, though narrowing, continues to produce deep inequalities between countries, territories, genders, and levels of income.
Three out of four people on the planet already use the internet—a sign of steady progress.
However, the differences between rich and poor countries remain profound and determine who can access advanced digital services and who remains limited to low-quality connections.
The uneven map of mobile connectivity
Mobile broadband coverage now reaches 96% of the world’s population, but the type of available network varies dramatically depending on a country’s income level.
While 5G reaches 84% of people in high-income countries, it reaches only 4% in low-income countries.
This means that millions of people can only access 3G networks—insufficient for most modern uses: online education, telemedicine, digital public services, or even smooth browsing on contemporary platforms.
4G networks, more widespread globally, also show a stark divide: they cover 93% of the world’s population, but only 56% in the poorest countries, with some regions still having areas without any mobile signal at all.
Internet use and development
Actual access—beyond mere coverage—also depends on economic development levels.
In high-income countries, 94% of the population uses the internet; in low-income countries, only 23%.
This gap is due not only to infrastructure but also to affordability: in the poorest countries, a mobile broadband subscription can cost up to 22 times more, relative to income, than in rich countries.
As a result, connectivity expands, but more slowly in the places where it would have the greatest transformative impact.
Connected cities, lagging rural areas
In urban areas worldwide, 85% of the population is connected, compared with 58% in rural areas.
The imbalance widens in low-income countries, where only one in seven rural residents has internet access.
Even in the deployment of 5G, the gap is striking: networks cover 89% of urban areas in high-income countries but only 59% of rural areas; in low-income countries, 5G coverage outside cities is virtually nonexistent.
Mobile subscriptions: abundant but unequal
Mobile broadband accounts for 89% of the 9.2 billion mobile subscriptions, with stark inequalities: in the Americas there are 132 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, while in Africa there are only 56.
Similarly, 5G adoption is growing rapidly in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific—where over 40% of subscriptions use this technology—whereas in Africa and the CIS it barely reaches a few percentage points.
Affordability: the main unresolved challenge
Despite declining prices, access remains unaffordable for millions.
In the poorest countries, a fixed broadband service can cost more than 25% of monthly income, and mobile broadband remains too expensive for large segments of the population.
Together with limitations in service quality, this explains why so many people remain offline despite technically living under network coverage.
Toward a more equitable connectivity future
Progress is real and significant, but it is not closing the gaps; if anything, they appear to be widening.
The technological distance between rich and poor countries persists and is even growing in key areas such as 5G deployment.
The global challenge is not only to expand infrastructure but to ensure that the benefits of digitalization reach all regions and communities.
While some countries are beginning to adopt AI-based services and ultra-fast networks, others are still waiting for 4G—or even 3G—to reach their homes.
For now, contrary to some optimistic forecasts, the digital future does not seem poised to overcome the marked inequalities in development across people, groups, countries, and regions. If current trends continue, these disparities will deepen.
Having robust data is essential to address meaningful change. The rest depends on the political will of decision-makers and on the ability of society to influence those decisions.