Internet users increases, but disparities deepen key digital divides

More than 240 million people came online in 2025, raising the total number of internet users worldwide to six billion, according to a new report released Monday by the International Telecommunication Union.

While the data shows steady progress in expanding global connectivity, the UN agency warned that persistent gaps in quality, affordability, and digital skills are preventing billions from fully benefiting from today’s technologies.

Despite continued growth, the ITU estimated that 2.2 billion people remain offline, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. The report emphasized the need for stronger digital infrastructure, more affordable internet services, and improved digital skills—especially as technologies like artificial intelligence become increasingly integrated into daily life.

“In a world where digital technologies are essential to so much of daily life, everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from being online,” ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said. She noted that today’s digital divide is defined not only by access, but also by connection speed, reliability, affordability, and user skills.

The report highlighted widening quality gaps driven by the uneven rollout of advanced mobile technologies. For the first time, the ITU estimated global 5G subscriptions, which have reached around three billion—roughly one-third of all mobile broadband subscriptions.

Although 5G networks are expected to cover 55% of the global population, access remains highly unequal: coverage reaches 84% in high-income countries but only 4% in low-income nations.

Usage patterns show a similar divide. A typical user in a high-income country consumes nearly eight times more mobile data than a user in a low-income country.

Affordability and digital literacy remain major barriers. While the median price of data-only mobile broadband has decreased, the ITU reported that internet access remains unaffordable in around 60% of low- and middle-income countries. Most internet users possess only basic digital skills, while more advanced abilities—such as online safety, problem-solving, and digital content creation—are developing more slowly.

Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, stressed that reliable data is essential for effective digital policies and for achieving universal connectivity. He called for sustained, well-targeted investments in infrastructure, skills, and data systems to ensure no one is left behind.

The report also confirmed that digital development continues to mirror economic, gender-based, and geographic inequalities. Internet usage reaches 94% in high-income countries but only 23% in low-income countries.

Men remain more connected than women, with 77% of men online compared to 71% of women. Urban areas show far higher connectivity at 85%, while only 58% of rural populations are online. Younger people are also significantly more connected, with 82% of individuals aged 15 to 24 using the Internet, compared to 72% of the rest of the population.