Digital inclusion is shaped by more than whether someone can get online. Access, affordability, connection quality, digital skills and confidence all influence whether people can use the internet meaningfully. In 2024, an estimated 5.5 billion people used the internet worldwide, representing 68% of the global population, while 2.6 billion remained offline. The figures below show how those gaps vary by income, geography, gender, age and education.
Contents
- Global internet adoption
- Gender and age gaps
- Urban-rural connectivity
- Affordability and meaningful connectivity
- Digital skills in the European Union
- How people use the internet in the EU
- UK access and digital confidence
Global internet adoption
The International Telecommunication Union estimated that 68% of the world’s population used the internet in 2024. That was up from 65% in 2023. The estimated number of users reached 5.5 billion, leaving about 2.6 billion people offline. The year-on-year growth rate also increased, from 2.7% in 2023 to 3.4% in 2024. These are global estimates for the relevant years, rather than a count of every individual connection. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
Adoption differs sharply by national income and development classification:
- Internet use reached 93% of the population in high-income countries in 2024.
- Only 27% of people in low-income countries used the internet.
- Africa had an estimated internet-use rate of 38%.
- Internet use reached 35% in least developed countries.
- Internet use reached 39% in landlocked developing countries.
The contrast between 93% adoption in high-income countries and 27% in low-income countries describes a substantial difference in who can participate in online education, services, communication and commerce. The regional and development-group figures should be read as estimates for 2024, with country conditions varying within each category. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
Gender and age gaps
Worldwide, 70% of men and 65% of women used the internet in 2024. The difference in user numbers was estimated at 189 million more male than female users. For context, the corresponding global difference was 277 million in 2021, compared with 189 million in 2024. The narrowing in this measure does not mean that gender gaps have disappeared, because usage rates remain unequal across regions and income groups. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
The 2024 gender differences were especially visible in some regions and income groups:
- In Africa, internet use was 43% among men and 31% among women.
- In the Arab States, the figures were 75% for men and 64% for women.
- In low-income countries, 32% of men and 21% of women used the internet.
- In high-income countries, usage was 94% for men and 93% for women.
- In the Americas, usage was 87% for men and 86% for women.
Age also matters. Worldwide, 79% of people aged 15–24 used the internet in 2024. That was 13 percentage points higher than the rate for the rest of the population. A higher rate among younger people can coexist with barriers for older adults, particularly when access is combined with confidence and skills requirements. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
Urban-rural connectivity
In 2024, 83% of urban residents worldwide used the internet, compared with 48% of rural residents. Of the estimated 2.6 billion people offline, about 1.8 billion lived in rural areas. This makes rural connectivity a major part of the global inclusion challenge, although urban residence does not guarantee affordable or useful access. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
Network generation coverage shows another layer of the gap:
| Measure, 2024 | Urban areas | Rural areas |
|---|---|---|
| Global 5G network access | 67% | 29% |
| Global 4G coverage | 99% | 82% |
| High-income-country 5G coverage | 90% | 58% |
| Low-income-country 5G coverage | 10% | Essentially unavailable |
The global population covered by a 3G-or-better mobile network was 96% in 2024. Within that coverage mix, 4% had only 3G, 41% had 4G and 51% had 5G. Coverage, however, is not the same as actual use: a person may live within a network footprint and still face device, affordability, skills or confidence barriers. In low-income countries, only 30% of rural inhabitants had 4G coverage in 2024. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
Affordability and meaningful connectivity
Prices look different when measured against local income. In 2024, the worldwide median price of a data-only mobile-broadband basket fell to 1.1% of gross national income per capita. The worldwide median price of a fixed-broadband basket fell to 2.5%. These are median affordability measures, so they do not describe the burden faced by every household. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
The burden was much higher in lower-income settings. Mobile internet costs in Africa were 14 times higher than in Europe when measured against income. A mobile-broadband basket cost lower-middle-income subscribers about six times as much of their income as it cost subscribers in high-income economies. For low-income subscribers, it cost about 19 times as much relative to income. A fixed-broadband subscription cost nearly one-third of the average person’s income in a low-income country.
Usage volumes also indicate unequal opportunities for sustained connectivity. Global mobile-broadband traffic was estimated at nearly 1.3 zettabytes in 2024. Global fixed-broadband traffic reached an estimated 6 zettabytes, up from 5.1 zettabytes in 2023. Average monthly mobile-broadband traffic per subscription was 16.2 GB in high-income countries, compared with 2 GB in low-income countries. Traffic is not a direct measure of wellbeing or skills, but the difference is consistent with unequal capacity to use data-intensive services. (Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024)
Digital skills in the European Union
In 2025, 60% of EU residents aged 16–74 had at least basic digital skills. The EU target is 80% of adults by 2030, so the 2025 level was 20 percentage points below that target. The share rose from 54% in 2021 to 56% in 2023 and 60% in 2025. These figures measure digital skills, not simply whether someone has internet access. (Skills for the digital age)
Results varied widely between countries. The Netherlands recorded the highest share in 2025, at 84%. Romania recorded the lowest, at 32%, while Bulgaria recorded 38%. The spread between the Netherlands and Romania was therefore 52 percentage points.
Population groups also differed:
- Only 33% of EU residents aged 65–74 had at least basic digital skills.
- About 75% of residents in both the 16–24 and 25–34 age groups had at least basic digital skills.
- The share was 62% among EU men and 59% among EU women aged 16–74.
- At least basic skills were reported by 82% of residents with high formal education, compared with 38% of those with no or low formal education.
The education difference was 44 percentage points. Together, the age and education results show why a high general level of internet use does not necessarily produce equal ability to complete tasks safely and independently. (Skills for the digital age)
How people use the internet in the EU
Internet use itself was widespread in the EU. In 2024, 93% of residents aged 16–74 had used the internet during the previous three months, up from 86% in 2019. The measure covers recent use and should not be treated as a complete measure of connection quality, affordability or digital skills. (People online in 2024)
The most frequently reported activities included communication and information seeking:
- 85% used the internet for phone calls, video calls or instant messaging.
- 80% used it for email.
- 75% used it to find information about goods and services.
- 73% used it to watch television or videos.
- 67% used internet banking.
These activities illustrate the practical reach of digital services, from staying in contact to comparing products and managing finances. They also show why digital inclusion involves more than providing a signal: different activities require different levels of access, confidence, data and skill. (People online in 2024)
UK access and digital confidence
Ofcom’s 2025 tracker survey found that 6% of UK adults had no internet access at home. In the same year, 44,000 UK residential and commercial premises, or 0.1% of all premises, could not access a decent broadband connection. The survey and premises measure describe different aspects of inclusion: household access and the availability of a connection at a location. (Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes 2026 Report)
Device dependence was also significant. One in five, or 20%, of UK online adults relied solely on a smartphone for internet access in 2025. Narrow internet users accounted for 21% of UK internet users. A smartphone-only connection can enable many tasks, while still providing a different experience from access to a larger screen, keyboard or fixed connection. (Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes 2026 Report)
Confidence was uneven across different skills. Eighty-nine percent of UK online adults said they felt confident as an internet user in 2025, but only 21% felt confident judging whether online information was true or false. Among adults without home internet access, 68% said they were not interested in or had no need to be online. This response identifies reported motivation or perceived need, rather than proving that no barriers existed. (Adults’ Media Use and Attitudes 2026 Report)