Publication date: 3 November 2026
More than three quarters of the world’s population now uses the internet, according to the International Telecommunication Union’s Facts and Figures 2026 report. An estimated 6.3 billion people are online, up from 6.1 billion in 2025. The milestone is substantial, but the same evidence shows why counting connections is no longer enough.
Two billion people remain offline. Internet use reaches 93 per cent in high income countries but only 32 per cent in low income countries. Africa stands at 42 per cent, while Europe and several other advanced regions are approaching universal use. The divide is therefore not a residual problem at the edge of a successful system. It remains a structural feature of global digital development.
Coverage does not guarantee meaningful access
Mobile broadband coverage using third generation technology or better now reaches 97 per cent of the global population. Yet hundreds of millions still live beyond that basic network reach, and many more face prices, devices or skills that prevent regular use. Three in ten economies do not meet the ITU affordability target for either fixed or mobile broadband.
The newest networks are even more uneven. Fifth generation coverage reaches 86 per cent of people in high income countries but only 4 per cent in low income countries. That gap matters as public services, education and business tools become more demanding. A nominal connection that is expensive, unreliable or slow can exclude people almost as effectively as no connection.
Policy should move from access counts to usable outcomes
Governments and network providers need to measure whether people can use connectivity safely and productively. That means tracking affordability relative to income, service reliability, device access and digital skills alongside geographic coverage. It also means separating household access from subscription totals, because multiple subscriptions and connected devices can make headline penetration look stronger than human use.
Investment priorities should reflect the actual constraint in each market. In remote areas, shared infrastructure and public support may be necessary to extend coverage. In low income urban communities, affordable plans and devices may matter more than another generation of network technology. Digital skills programmes should be tied to practical services such as work, education, health and government access.
The ITU also warns that data gaps continue to impede evidence based policy. Countries cannot target resources effectively if they do not know which communities lack reliable service or why people remain offline.
Crossing the three quarter threshold is an achievement. The next phase is harder because the remaining divide is concentrated where deployment costs are high and household resources are limited. Leadership will require treating meaningful connectivity as a combined infrastructure, affordability and capability challenge.