Global Connectivity
Report 2022

Achieving universal and meaningful connectivity in the Decade of Action

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The Global Connectivity Report 2022 takes stock of the progress in digital connectivity over the past three decades. It provides a detailed assessment of the current state of connectivity and how close the world is to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity, using a unique analytical framework. It goes on to showcase solutions and good practices to accelerate progress. The second part of the report consists of seven thematic deep dives on infrastructure, affordability, financing, the pandemic, regulation, youth, and data.

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Global Connectivity Report 2022

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Meeting the new connectivity challenge in the Decade of Action

In the last 30 years, the number of Internet users surged from a few million to almost five billion. Yet the potential remains untapped because one-third of humanity remains offline, and many users only enjoy basic connectivity. The Global Connectivity Report 2022 provides a detailed assessment of the current state of connectivity and presents solutions to meet this new imperative.

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85 per cent

Internet connectivity is a lifeline for refugees, but 85 per cent are hosted in developing countries, and more than a quarter in LDCs, with lower levels of Internet connectivity, making it very challenging to bring them online.

Read chapter 1

13

Universal connectivity remains a distant prospect. Internet penetration has reached 95 per cent of the population in only 13 countries.

Read chapter 2

23 per cent

Protecting personal data is a critical issue but only 23 per cent of countries around the world have adequate data protection laws on a par with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Read chapter 3

4,300

Globally, there were 4,300 data centres connected to the Internet in November 2021.

Read chapter 4

21x

An entry-level mobile-broadband access costs 0.5 per cent of monthly income in high-income economies, but 11.1 per cent of monthly income in low-income economies, that’s 21 times more!

Read chapter 5

4x

In Africa, 4G coverage in urban areas is four times the coverage in rural areas, partly because commercial deployment of Internet access is not currently viable or seen as viable in these areas, due to high deployment cost and/or low user demand.

Read chapter 6

1/4

Nearly a quarter of countries worldwide have created safe spaces for regulatory experimentation – regulatory sandboxes, promoting innovation and open participation of stakeholders, and encouraging the adoption of new technologies and business models.

Read chapter 7

30 per cent

The onset of lockdowns associated with the pandemic resulted in an immediate spike in Internet usage of around 30 per cent, as demand shifted from enterprise to residential.

Read chapter 8

71 per cent

The youth are adept users of the Internet: 71 per cent of the people aged 15-24 use the Internet, compared with 57 per cent for the rest of the population.

Read chapter 9

Track the digital transformation with the ITU DataHub

The ITU DataHub features over 200 statistical indicators on digital connectivity, trust, markets, governance, sustainability, and affordability. The new data platform offers an intuitive, mobile-friendly interface complete with country and regional profiles and data tables, allowing users to quickly find, view, compare, and download statistics on all aspects of information and communication technologies.

Check out ITU DataHub