Geneva, November 17, 2025 – More than 240 million people came online for the first time in 2025, pushing the total number of internet users worldwide to an estimated 6 billion, according to the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) latest Facts and Figures 2025 report released on Monday.
This milestone means roughly three-quarters of the global population is now connected, a significant increase from 5.8 billion users at the end of 2024. The growth reflects continued expansion of mobile networks, falling device prices, and government-led digital inclusion initiatives in many emerging markets.
Despite the progress, the United Nations specialized agency for information and communication technologies cautioned that serious gaps in quality, affordability, and digital skills are preventing billions from fully participating in the digital economy and society.
An estimated 2.2 billion people remain completely offline, the vast majority living in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and parts of Latin America and the Pacific. The ITU stressed that as technologies such as artificial intelligence, online education, telemedicine, and digital financial services become central to daily life, lack of meaningful connectivity risks deepening existing inequalities in health, education, and economic opportunity.
“In a world where digital technologies are essential to so much of daily life, everyone should have the opportunity to benefit from being online,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. She emphasized that today’s digital divides are no longer just about access, but increasingly about speed, reliability, cost, and the ability to use the internet effectively.
One of the report’s major new insights is the rapid growth of 5G networks. For the first time, the ITU published global estimates showing approximately 3 billion active 5G subscriptions worldwide — representing about one-third of all mobile broadband connections. While 5G coverage is expected to reach 55% of the global population by the end of 2025, the rollout remains highly uneven: 84% of people in high-income countries live within range of a 5G signal, compared to just 4% in low-income countries.
This infrastructure gap translates directly into differences in usage. A typical mobile broadband user in a high-income country consumes nearly eight times more data per month than a user in a low-income country — often 15 gigabytes or more versus less than 2 gigabytes. Limited speeds and strict data caps in poorer regions restrict activities such as video streaming, online learning, cloud storage, and participation in the growing number of AI-powered services.
Affordability continues to be a major barrier. Although the global median price of mobile data has fallen significantly in recent years, internet access remains unaffordable for the average household in around 60% of low- and middle-income countries. In many parts of Africa and South Asia, the cost of 1 GB of data can still exceed 5–10% of monthly income, pricing out large segments of the population.
Digital skills present another critical challenge. While most connected individuals can perform basic tasks like sending emails or browsing websites, advanced competencies — such as protecting personal data online, solving technical problems, creating digital content, or programming — remain limited, especially in developing regions. The ITU noted that skill gaps are slowing the adoption of more sophisticated online services and hindering local innovation and entrepreneurship.
Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of the ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, underscored the importance of reliable data in shaping effective policy. “Sustained and well-targeted efforts in infrastructure, skills, and data systems are needed to ensure that no one is left behind,” he said.
The report also highlighted persistent disparities across income levels, gender, geography, and age:
Internet penetration stands at 94% in high-income countries but only 23% in low-income countries.
Globally, 77% of men are online compared to 71% of women — a gender gap affecting approximately 180 million more women than men.
Urban areas enjoy 85% connectivity, while rural regions lag at 58%.
Young people aged 15–24 are the most connected demographic, with 82% using the internet, compared to 72% of the rest of the adult population.
Regionally, Asia-Pacific accounts for more than half of all internet users (around 3.2 billion), led by China and India. Europe and the Americas have near-universal access in urban areas, while Africa’s overall penetration rate remains at 43%, with more than half its population still offline.
The ITU called on governments, industry, and international organizations to accelerate investment in broadband infrastructure, reduce data costs through policy and competition, integrate digital literacy into education systems, and promote gender-responsive programs to close remaining gaps.
As the world approaches the midpoint of the UN Sustainable Development Goals timeline in 2030, the agency warned that without urgent and coordinated action, the promise of universal and meaningful connectivity — a key target for sustainable development — will remain out of reach for hundreds of millions of people.
The 2025 milestone of 6 billion internet users is a cause for celebration, but the report makes clear that the next phase of digital inclusion must focus not just on getting people online, but on ensuring they can use the internet safely, affordably, and productively in an increasingly digital world.
