As the world is welcoming its 8 billionth inhabitant, 5.3 billion people – or 66 per cent of the total global population – are online, while 2.7 billion are still offline^[1]. At the same time, three quarters of the population aged 10 years and over own a mobile phone. On average, in almost all regions the percentage of individuals owning a mobile phone is higher than the percentage of Internet users, but the gap has been shrinking. This is mirrored by the fact that mobile-broadband subscriptions continue to grow fast, approaching mobile-cellular subscriptions, which is plateauing.

These are just some of the insights that can be found in the 2022 edition of Facts and Figures, ITU’s annual global assessment of digital connectivity. It features estimates for key connectivity indicators for the world, global regions, and several country groupings, including the UN-designated Least Developed Countries.

The Facts and Figures series sheds light on the multiple facets and evolving nature of the digital divide and takes stock of the progress towards closing it. It serves as a powerful advocacy tool in efforts to put digital development at the top of the agendas of policymakers and of the development community.

Read the full press release.

Visit the Trello board for infographics and additional social media assets.

For additional resources and data, visit the Facts and Figures series page.

Learn more about ITU’s Statistics thematic priority here.

^[1] being online means having used the Internet in the last three months.