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Internet use passes three-quarters of the world's population

Internet use passes three-quarters of the world's population

New Capabilities

The ITU estimates 6.3 billion people online in 2026, up from 6.1 billion, while 2 billion remain offline

Yesterday: Human Progress summarizes the findings

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

In 2005, about one billion people used the internet, roughly 15% of the world. The International Telecommunication Union estimates 6.3 billion people, or 76%, were online in 2026.

That leaves 2 billion people offline. The gap follows income closely: 93% of people in high-income countries use the internet, against 32% in low-income countries.

Why it matters

The next billion users will mostly live in low-income countries, where mobile data costs 20 times the income share it does in rich ones.

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Key Indicators

6.3B
People using the internet
ITU's 2026 estimate, up from a revised 6.1 billion in 2025.
76%
Share of world population online
The first time the figure has passed three-quarters.
2B
People still offline
Down from a revised 2.1 billion in 2025.
93%
Internet use in high-income countries
Near-universal use, against 32% in low-income countries.
32%
Internet use in low-income countries
The widest income-group gap in the report.

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People Involved

Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Doreen Bogdan-Martin
Secretary-General, International Telecommunication Union
Leads the ITU and presented the 2026 connectivity findings
CZ
Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava
Director, ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau
Oversees the bureau that produces the annual connectivity assessment

Organizations Involved

International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
UN Specialized Agency
Publisher of the annual Facts and Figures connectivity report

The United Nations agency that coordinates global telecommunications policy and publishes annual connectivity statistics.
HumanProgress.org
HumanProgress.org
Online publication
Summarized the ITU's 2026 findings for a general audience

Online publication that summarizes development and progress data, including the ITU's annual connectivity report.

Timeline

2005 November 2026

6 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Human Progress summarizes the findings

    Latest Publication

    Human Progress reports the 6.3 billion figure to a wider audience.

  2. ITU reports 6.3 billion online

    Report release

    Facts and Figures 2026 puts internet use at 76% of the world's population.

  3. Revised 2025 estimate: 6.1 billion online

    Data revision

    ITU revised its 2025 figure to 6.1 billion users, or 74% of the population.

  4. Internet use crosses 50%

    Milestone

    Half the world's population was online.

  5. Internet use crosses 25%

    Milestone

    A quarter of the world's population was online.

  6. One billion people online

    Milestone

    About 1 billion people used the internet, roughly 15% of the world's population.

Scenarios

1

ITU's 2027 report puts internet use at 78% or higher

Likely Resolves by Nov 30, 2027

Discussed by: ITU trend data, which shows 3% year-on-year growth in 2026

If the 2026 growth rate holds, another two percentage points of the world's population would come online by the next report. That would put the global figure at 78% or more and push the offline population below 1.9 billion.

2

The offline population falls below 1.8 billion

Possible Resolves by Nov 30, 2027

Discussed by: ITU and development analysts tracking the 2 billion figure

Population growth means the share online can rise while the absolute number offline falls slowly. Getting below 1.8 billion would require adding roughly 200 million users net of population growth, faster than the 2025-to-2026 pace.

3

Africa's internet use passes 50%

Unlikely Resolves by Nov 30, 2027

Discussed by: ITU regional data, which puts Africa at 42% in 2026

Africa has the lowest regional connectivity rate in the report. Reaching half the continent's population within a year would require growth far above the global average, and affordability remains a barrier: mobile broadband costs 4.5% of income per capita there.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2005

One billion online (2005)

About 1 billion people used the internet, roughly 15% of the world's population. Fixed-line broadband and early mobile data were concentrated in high-income countries.

Then

Growth accelerated as smartphones and mobile networks spread.

Now

Set the baseline for two decades of expansion that would add more than 5 billion users.

Why this matters now

Shows how far the 76% figure has traveled in 21 years.

2009

The 25% threshold (2009)

Internet use passed a quarter of humanity, four years after the one-billion mark.

Then

Mobile broadband began reaching users without fixed lines.

Now

The next quarter of the world took a decade to connect.

Why this matters now

Each threshold has arrived on a different timetable, shaped by affordability and network build-out.

2019

The 50% threshold (2019)

Half the world's population was online, 14 years after the 25% mark.

Then

Smartphone adoption in middle-income countries drove most of the gain.

Now

The next 26 percentage points, to 76%, took seven years.

Why this matters now

The pace from 50% to 76% is the closest guide to how fast the remaining 24% can be reached.

Sources

(6)
+1
Human Progress International Telecommunication Union Telecoms.com Deutsche Welle The Guardian Nigeria International Telecommunication Union