The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the global organisation responsible for matters related to information and communication technology (ICT), recently released its 2023 Facts and Figures report, which highlights the state of digital connectivity worldwide.
According to the report covering figures from 2023, approximately 5.4 billion people worldwide were online, representing 67% of the global population. At the same time, 5G coverage had reached 40% of the global population, and broadband connectivity had become more affordable, contributing to bridging the digital divide across countries.
The ITU report presents a comprehensive overview of global internet connectivity in 2023. The number of online people has increased to 5.4 billion, marking a 4.7% growth since 2022 and an increase of 3.5% from 2021 to 2022. This means that the number of offline people has decreased to 2.6 billion, which represents 33% of the global population.
The report also found that 93% of people in high-income countries were connected to the internet, representing almost universal access to the internet. This figure contrasts with nine out of ten people being online in 2020. In low-income countries, the percentage of internet users was 27%, an increase from 24% in 2022. However, there is still a wide gap between high-income and low-income countries, with a difference of 66% in the status of internet use reflecting the digital divide that persists between the two types of nations.
While the data shows that internet connectivity is improving in low-income countries, some people may never want to get connected. Additionally, even in high-income countries, it is unlikely that the connected population will reach 100%, as the number of internet users increased by just 1.1% due to the high internet penetration rate of 93%.
However, globally, 70% of men are using the internet compared to 65% of women, indicating that socioeconomic factors also influence connectivity figures.
Overall, the ITU report highlights the progress and challenges in achieving universal internet connectivity, with improvements in low-income countries and almost universal access in high-income countries but with persistent gaps and disparities between countries and demographics.
