{"id":23198,"date":"2025-11-17T15:40:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-17T14:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/?p=23198"},"modified":"2025-11-17T15:40:46","modified_gmt":"2025-11-17T14:40:46","slug":"global-number-of-internet-users-increases-but-disparities-deepen-key-digital-divides","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/telecomkh.info\/?p=23198","title":{"rendered":"Global number of Internet users increases, but disparities deepen key digital divides"},"content":{"rendered":"

ITU\u2019s Facts and Figures 2025 shows steady progress in connectivity, while highlighting gaps in quality and affordability<\/strong><\/p>\n

The world’s online population grew by more than 240 million people in 2025, according to Facts and Figures 2025 released today by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The new estimates confirm continuing progress in expanding digital connectivity, while pointing to differences in quality that impact how users benefit from Internet use.
\nGlobally, an estimated 6 billion people \u2013 about three-quarters of the world’s population \u2013 are using the Internet in 2025, up from a revised estimate of 5.8 billion in 2024. However, 2.2 billion people remain offline, down from a revised estimate of 2.3 billion in 2024.
\nOverall, the report’s findings underline the importance of digital infrastructure, affordable services and skills training to ensure that everyone can truly benefit from advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
\n\u201cIn a world where digital technologies are essential to so much of daily life, everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from being online,\u00bb said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. \u201cThis report highlights how today’s digital divides are being defined by speed, reliability, affordability, and skills, all of which we must prioritize as we work toward our mission of universal connectivity.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Connectivity’s quality challenge<\/strong>
\nFor the first time, Facts and Figures estimates the total number of 5G subscriptions, which now account for about one-third \u2013 or around 3 billion \u2013 of all mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide.
\nIn 2025, 5G networks are estimated to cover 55 per cent of the world’s population, reflecting strong momentum in advanced mobile technologies. Coverage, however, remains uneven, with 84 per cent of people in high-income countries having access to 5G, compared with only 4 per cent in low-income countries.
\nWhile Facts and Figures shows that 4G and 3G services are available to most of the global population, these services are not best suited for keeping pace with advancing technologies.
\nEstimates in the report reveal deep contrasts in intensity of use as an indicator of the quality gap. A typical user in a high-income country now generates nearly eight times more mobile data than one in a low-income country.<\/p>\n

Making connectivity meaningful<\/strong>
\nFacts and Figures 2025 highlights that affordability and digital skills remain essential to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity \u2013 reached when everyone can access the Internet with high-quality service, at an affordable cost, whenever and wherever needed.
\nGlobally, the median price of a data-only mobile broadband basket decreased, but access remains unaffordable in around 60 per cent of low- and middle-income countries.
\nData also suggest that most Internet users possess basic skills, while more advanced capabilities \u2013 such as online safety, problem-solving and digital content creation \u2013 are being developed more slowly.
\n\u201cReliable data are the foundation of effective digital policies and of our shared vision to connect the world,\u00bb said ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau Director Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava. \u201cAchieving that vision will require sustained and well-targeted efforts \u2013 in infrastructure, in digital skills, and in data systems. By working together and directing resources where the needs are greatest, we can ensure that no one is left behind and that everyone benefits fully and safely from the opportunities of the digital age.\u00bb<\/p>\n

Detailing the globe’s digital divides<\/strong>
\nAccording to Facts and Figures 2025, digital development remains closely linked to economic development, gender, and location.<\/p>\n

The report underscores the persistence of several digital divides:
\n\u2022 94 per cent of people in high-income countries use the Internet, in contrast to only 23 per cent in low-income countries;
\n\u2022 96 per cent of those offline live in low- and middle-income countries;
\n\u2022 77 per cent of men are online compared to 71 per cent of women;
\n\u2022 85 per cent in urban areas are online versus 58 per cent in rural areas;
\n\u2022 82 per cent of 15\u201324-year-olds use the Internet, compared with 72 per cent of the rest of the population.<\/p>\n

Above, World Telecommunication Development Conference (WTDC-25) \/ image credited to ITU<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ITU\u2019s Facts and Figures 2025 shows steady progress in connectivity, while highlighting gaps in quality and affordability The world’s online population grew by more than 240 million people in 2025, according to Facts and Figures 2025 released today by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The new estimates confirm continuing progress in expanding digital connectivity, while … <\/p>\n

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