I am pleased to present you the 2024 edition of Facts and Figures, ITU’s annual overview of the state of global digital connectivity.
Our estimates reveal that the world is inching towards universal access: 96 per cent of the global population is now covered by a mobile broadband network that enables Internet access. However, this achievement masks significant gaps. In rural areas of low-income countries, nearly 30 per cent of the population does not have the possibility of connecting to the Internet. For the world’s most vulnerable communities, digital exclusion makes life even more challenging. We must intensify our efforts to remove the barriers that keep people offline and close the usage gap: despite steady growth in Internet use one-third of humanity still does not use the Internet.
For those who are online, the quality of experience and the ability to leverage online resources vary significantly. For instance, while Internet prices continue to decline, affordability remains a major barrier. People in the least developed countries still dedicate a disproportionately large share of their budget to access the Internet. Moreover, the affordability gap between the most and least digitally connected countries has widened. In 2023, mobile Internet costs in Africa were 12 times higher than in Europe—a gap that increased to 14 times in 2024.
Digital skills are essential for meaningful use, yet data reveal significant skill gaps beyond basic communication capabilities. Even in high-income countries, limited digital skill sets constrain many individuals’ ability to fully benefit from online resources.
Equally concerning is the gap in the quality of access: 84 per cent of the population in high-income countries already has access to 5G. In contrast, 5G covers only 4 per cent of the population of low-income countries, where nearly 20 per cent have no access at all, and another 28 per cent rely exclusively on 3G, limiting what they can achieve online. Indeed, the average volume of mobile data used in a month in low-income countries is matched in less than four days in high-income economies, a consequence of the multiple barriers to meaningful use.
In this context, we renew our commitment to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity, so that everyone can access the Internet in optimal conditions and at an affordable cost, anytime and anywhere. The upcoming World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC-25) will be an opportunity to define an ambitious action plan for the coming years. Facts and Figures is an important contribution to the WTDC preparatory process, showing us where we stand and how far we still need to go.
The importance of universal and meaningful connectivity has been acknowledged by G20 ministers and is reflected in the Global Digital Compact. This recognition is an encouraging step forward in aligning global efforts towards our shared goals.
Finally, we encourage countries to invest in data collection. Our experience shows that there are still many data gaps and quality issues. We are committed to supporting countries in building their statistical capacity, which is essential for measuring progress and achieving universal and meaningful connectivity.
Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava
Director
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau