An estimated 6.3 billion people, or 76 per cent of the world’s population, are using the Internet in 2026, according to Facts and Figures 2026, released today by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The figure is up from a revised estimate of 6.1 billion people, or 74 per cent, in 2025. Despite the continued growth in connectivity, 2 billion people remain offline.
“In the age of AI, being offline means being shut out of countless opportunities, from education to employment,“ said Doreen Bogdan-Martin, ITU Secretary-General. „Now more than ever, we need to expand connectivity and make it meaningful for everyone, everywhere.“
With Internet use now estimated to extend to more than three-quarters of global population, Facts and Figures 2026 shows continued progress toward universal connectivity.
At the same time, the data reveal persistent disparities in who is connected. As example, Internet use stands at 93 per cent in high income countries, compared with just 32 per cent in low-income countries.
Closing gaps in the affordability, availability, quality and use of digital technologies and services is essential to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity, when everyone can use the Internet under optimal conditions, at an affordable cost, wherever and whenever they need.
“The continued expansion of global connectivity creates opportunities for socio-economic development and supports wider access to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence,“ said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau. “Facts and Figures 2026 shows us the significant progress achieved so far and the work that lies ahead of us to translate access to digital technologies into meaningful connections that can improve people’s lives. For this to happen, we should also prioritize the delivery of digital skills. Without digital skills and meaningful connectivity, the benefits of technologies risk remaining out of reach for many, reinforcing existing digital divides.“