Emma Okonji
An estimated 6.3 billion folks, roughly 76 per cent of the world’s inhabitants, now have entry to the web in 2026, up from a revised estimate of 6.1 billion folks, or 74 per cent, in 2025, ‘Facts and Figures’ launched at present by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has stated.
ITU nonetheless stated regardless of the continued development in web connectivity, two billion folks nonetheless remained offline and unconnected to the web, a growth that uncovered the digital divide that persists globally.
Giving particulars of the report, ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin, stated: “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 increase to greater than three-quarters of world inhabitants, ‘Facts and Figures’ 2026 confirmed continued progress towards common connectivity.
At the identical time, the info revealed persistent disparities in who’s linked. According to the report, the usage of web stands at 93 per cent in excessive revenue international locations, in contrast with simply 32 per cent in low-income international locations.
Closing gaps within the affordability, availability, high quality and use of digital applied sciences and companies is crucial to reaching common and significant connectivity, when everybody can use the web beneath optimum situations, at an reasonably priced value, wherever and at any time when they want, the report additional stated.
Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, stated: “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 newest version of ITU’s annual connectivity evaluation gives world, regional and revenue group estimates for indicators associated to web use, subscriptions and visitors in addition to affordability, digital abilities, cell community protection and cell phone possession.
Key findings from ITU’s ‘Facts and Figures 2026 embrace: Gender, Age, Location, Mobile cellphone possession, Mobile community protection, Monthly cell utilization, and Affordability.
For gender, the report stated globally, 79 per cent of males and 74 per cent of ladies used the web, including that the ratio of ladies to males utilizing the web has elevated to 0.94.
For age demography, the report stated folks remained extra linked than the remainder of the inhabitants, with 86 per cent of individuals aged 15 to 24 utilizing the web globally, in contrast with 74 per cent of the remainder of the inhabitants.
For location, the report stated urban-rural divide has narrowed, though clear disparities persist., including that globally, 82 per cent of city residents have entry to the web, in contrast with 63 per cent in rural areas.
For cell phone possession, the report stated 84 per cent of the worldwide inhabitants aged 10 and over, owned a cell phone, including that possession exceeds 95 per cent in high-income international locations, in contrast with 57 per cent in low-income international locations.
For cell community protection, the report stated an estimated 97 per cent of the worldwide inhabitants lived inside attain of a minimum of a 3G community. It nonetheless stated protection by extra superior applied sciences remained extremely unequal, including that whereas 5G reaches 59 per cent of the worldwide inhabitants, protection ranges from 86 per cent in high-income international locations to only 4 per cent in low-income international locations.
For month-to-month cell utilization, the report stated common month-to-month cell broadband visitors per subscription was 20 GB in high-income international locations, roughly six occasions the three.4 GB in low-income international locations. In the realm of affordability, the report stated the worldwide median worth of a data-only cell broadband basket fell to 1.2 per cent of gross nationwide revenue (GNI) per capita, whereas that of a hard and fast broadband basket declined to 2.3 per cent.
According to the report, each landlocked creating international locations (LLDCs) and small island creating states (SIDS) met, for the primary time in 2026, a extensively recognised affordability goal of two per cent of GNI per capita for the cell broadband basket.
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) reshapes economies and societies, the report famous that connectivity, together with its affordability, and digital abilities would decide who advantages from rising applied sciences.
