Emma Okonji
An estimated 6.3 billion people, approximately 76 per cent of the world’s population, now have access to the internet in 2026, up from a revised estimate of 6.1 billion people, or 74 per cent, in 2025, ‘Facts and Figures’ released today by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has said.
ITU however said despite the continued growth in internet connectivity, two billion people still remained offline and unconnected to the internet, a development that exposed the digital divide that persists globally.
Giving details of the report, ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, said: “In the age of AI, being offline means being shut out of countless opportunities, from education to employment. Now more than ever, we need to expand connectivity and make it meaningful for everyone, everywhere.”
With Internet use now estimated to extend to more than three-quarters of global population, ‘Facts and Figures’ 2026 showed continued progress toward universal connectivity.
At the same time, the data revealed persistent disparities in who is connected. According to the report, the use of internet stands at 93 per cent in high income countries, compared with just 32 per cent in low-income countries.
Closing gaps in the affordability, availability, quality and use of digital technologies and services is essential to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity, when everyone can use the internet under optimal conditions, at an affordable cost, wherever and whenever they need, the report further said.
Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, said: “The continued expansion of global connectivity creates opportunities for socio-economic development and supports wider access to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. ‘Facts and Figures’ 2026 shows us the significant progress achieved so far and the work that lies ahead of us to translate access to digital technologies into meaningful connections that can improve people’s lives. For this to happen, we should also prioritise the delivery of digital skills. Without digital skills and meaningful connectivity, the benefits of technologies risk remaining out of reach for many, reinforcing existing digital divides.”
The latest edition of ITU’s annual connectivity assessment provides global, regional and income group estimates for indicators related to internet use, subscriptions and traffic as well as affordability, digital skills, mobile network coverage and mobile phone ownership.
Key findings from ITU’s ‘Facts and Figures 2026 include: Gender, Age, Location, Mobile phone ownership, Mobile network coverage, Monthly mobile usage, and Affordability.
For gender, the report said globally, 79 per cent of men and 74 per cent of women used the internet, adding that the ratio of women to men using the internet has increased to 0.94.
For age demography, the report said people remained more connected than the rest of the population, with 86 per cent of people aged 15 to 24 using the internet globally, compared with 74 per cent of the rest of the population.
For location, the report said urban-rural divide has narrowed, even though clear disparities persist., adding that globally, 82 per cent of urban residents have access to the internet, compared with 63 per cent in rural areas.
For mobile phone ownership, the report said 84 per cent of the global population aged 10 and over, owned a mobile phone, adding that ownership exceeds 95 per cent in high-income countries, compared with 57 per cent in low-income countries.
For mobile network coverage, the report said an estimated 97 per cent of the global population lived within reach of at least a 3G network. It however said coverage by more advanced technologies remained highly unequal, adding that while 5G reaches 59 per cent of the global population, coverage ranges from 86 per cent in high-income countries to just 4 per cent in low-income countries.
For monthly mobile usage, the report said average monthly mobile broadband traffic per subscription was 20 GB in high-income countries, roughly six times the 3.4 GB in low-income countries. In the area of affordability, the report said the global median price of a data-only mobile broadband basket fell to 1.2 per cent of gross national income (GNI) per capita, while that of a fixed broadband basket declined to 2.3 per cent.
According to the report, both landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS) met, for the first time in 2026, a widely recognised affordability target of two per cent of GNI per capita for the mobile broadband basket.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes economies and societies, the report noted that connectivity, including its affordability, and digital skills would determine who benefits from emerging technologies.