ITU says 6.3 billion people now online, but two billion still shut out
- The International Telecommunication Union estimates 6.3 billion people, about 76 per cent of the world, had internet access in 2026.
- Two billion people remain offline, and use ranges from 93 per cent in rich countries to 32 per cent in poor ones.
- The agency says affordability and digital skills decide who benefits as artificial intelligence spreads.
About 6.3 billion people, roughly 76 per cent of the world's population, had access to the internet in 2026, according to new figures from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations agency for telecommunications. That is up from a revised 6.1 billion, or 74 per cent, in 2025.
But the same report, 'Facts and Figures 2026', says two billion people are still offline. The gap between rich and poor countries remains wide: internet use stands at 93 per cent in high-income countries and just 32 per cent in low-income ones.
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said being offline in the age of artificial intelligence means missing out on opportunities, from education to employment. She called for connectivity that is meaningful for everyone, everywhere.
Who is still left behind
The report points to several divides that persist even as more people come online.
- Gender: 79 per cent of men use the internet, compared with 74 per cent of women. The ratio of women to men online has risen to 0.94.
- Age: 86 per cent of people aged 15 to 24 are online, against 74 per cent of other age groups.
- Location: 82 per cent of urban residents have access, compared with 63 per cent in rural areas.
- Phones: 84 per cent of people aged 10 and over own a mobile phone, but ownership is above 95 per cent in high-income countries and 57 per cent in low-income ones.
- Network quality: 97 per cent of the world lives within reach of at least a 3G network, but 5G covers 86 per cent of people in rich countries and only 4 per cent in poor ones.
- Usage: average monthly mobile broadband traffic is 20 GB per subscription in high-income countries, about six times the 3.4 GB in low-income countries.
On cost, the global median price of a data-only mobile broadband plan fell to 1.2 per cent of gross national income (GNI) per capita. Fixed broadband dropped to 2.3 per cent. For the first time, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states met the widely recognised affordability target of two per cent of GNI per capita for mobile broadband.
Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, who heads the ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau, said access alone is not enough. He said digital skills must be prioritised, or the benefits of new technologies will stay out of reach for many people.
What happens next: the ITU's annual figures will be watched as a scorecard on whether the two billion people still offline can be reached, and whether access turns into meaningful use.
