Telecommunication Statistics at a Glance
Telecommunications statistics show a world that is still expanding access, but not evenly. The biggest story is not just that more people are online, it is how sharply usage, infrastructure, and affordability differ by income, geography, and age.
Table of contents
- Telecommunications statistics at a glance
- Global internet access in 2024
- Telecom access by income and region
- Mobile ownership, subscriptions, and coverage
- Fixed broadband and network mix
- OECD telecommunications trends
- What the numbers say about the market
Global internet access in 2024
Big number: 5.5 billion people were online in 2024 and that represented 68% of the global population (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release). That leaves 2.6 billion people offline, or 32% of the world (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release).
The scale of the connected population matters because the change from 2023 was still substantial. The number of people online increased by 227 million from the revised 2023 estimate to 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release). At the same time, the offline population fell from 2.8 billion in the revised 2023 estimate to 2.6 billion in 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release).
Key takeaways
- Internet access is now mainstream globally, but not universal.
- The remaining offline population is still massive at 2.6 billion people.
- Growth continued in 2024, but the gap between connected and unconnected people remains large.
At a glance: The world is connected, but the last third is the hardest to reach.
Quick comparison
| Measure | 2024 figure | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| People online | 5.5 billion | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| Share online | 68% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| People offline | 2.6 billion | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| Share offline | 32% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| Increase in online users vs revised 2023 | 227 million | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
Telecom access by income and region
Telecommunications statistics become more revealing when broken down by income level. In high-income countries, 93% of the population was estimated to be using the Internet in 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release). By contrast, in low-income countries, only 27% of the population was estimated to be online in 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release).
That gap is not a small variation. It means internet access is near-saturated in wealthy markets and still limited in lower-income ones. The same pattern shows up in the least developed and landlocked developing country groups. In least developed countries, only 35% of the population was estimated online in 2024, while 39% of the population in landlocked developing countries was estimated online (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release).
Internet use by group
| Group | Online share in 2024 | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| High-income countries | 93% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| Low-income countries | 27% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| Least developed countries | 35% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| Landlocked developing countries | 39% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
Why it matters
This spread shapes everything that follows in telecom markets:
- Device demand grows differently across regions.
- Network investments face different affordability constraints.
- Public policy needs vary from saturation management to first-time access.
The cost side also matters. The cost of a fixed-broadband subscription in low-income countries was nearly one-third of average monthly income (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release). That makes household adoption harder even where infrastructure exists.
Urban and rural divide
The urban-rural split remains one of the clearest telecom divides in the data. 83% of urban dwellers used the Internet in 2024, while in rural areas 48% of the population used the Internet (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release). Of the 2.6 billion people offline in 2024, 1.8 billion lived in rural areas (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release).
That means rural areas account for a very large share of the remaining non-users, which matters for coverage planning, service pricing, and last-mile infrastructure.
Fast facts
- Urban internet use: 83% (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release)
- Rural internet use: 48% (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release)
- Offline people living in rural areas: 1.8 billion (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release)
Mobile ownership, subscriptions, and coverage
Mobile is still the main gateway to telecommunications for many households. About four out of five people over age 10 owned a mobile phone globally in 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release). In high-income economies, more than 95% of people over age 10 owned a mobile phone, while in low-income countries only 56% did (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release).
That difference is crucial because mobile ownership is often the first step toward digital participation. Where ownership lags, internet use, mobile broadband, and digital services typically face a wider adoption barrier.
Mobile ownership snapshot
| Group | Mobile ownership rate | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Global, age 10+ | About 80% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| High-income economies | More than 95% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
| Low-income countries | 56% | ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release |
Mobile subscriptions remain enormous
There were 9.1 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions in 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions). On a per-person basis, that was 112 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions). Mobile broadband was also large, with 95 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide in 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions).
The subscription count matters because it shows just how deeply mobile networks are embedded in daily life. It also explains why growth rates in mobile usage often look modest compared with the total size of the market.
Subscription and growth highlights
- 9.1 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions in 2024 (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions)
- 112 mobile-cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions)
- 95 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions)
- Mobile-broadband subscriptions grew at an average annual rate of 5% over the previous five years (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions)
- Mobile-cellular subscriptions grew at an average annual rate of 1.1% over the previous five years (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 subscriptions)
5G coverage and the modern network map
Coverage is where the telecom story becomes sharply unequal again. 5G coverage reached 51% of the world population in 2024 (ITU ICT SDG indicators). In high-income countries, 5G coverage reached 84% (ITU ICT SDG indicators), while in low-income countries it reached only 4% (ITU ICT SDG indicators).
Regional differences were also stark. Australia and New Zealand had the highest regional level reported at 92% 5G coverage (ITU ICT SDG indicators). Eastern and South-Eastern Asia and Europe and Northern America were both at 77% (ITU ICT SDG indicators). At the other end, Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand was at 1%, Sub-Saharan Africa at 11%, and Northern Africa and Western Asia at 13% (ITU ICT SDG indicators).
5G coverage by selected group
| Group | 5G coverage | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| World population | 51% | ITU ICT SDG indicators |
| High-income countries | 84% | ITU ICT SDG indicators |
| Low-income countries | 4% | ITU ICT SDG indicators |
| Australia and New Zealand | 92% | ITU ICT SDG indicators |
| Eastern and South-Eastern Asia | 77% | ITU ICT SDG indicators |
| Europe and Northern America | 77% | ITU ICT SDG indicators |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 11% | ITU ICT SDG indicators |
Why this split matters
5G coverage is a useful shorthand for the maturity of mobile infrastructure, but the real story is the unevenness. Markets with 70% to 90% coverage can focus on densification and service quality. Markets at 1% to 13% coverage still face basic network rollout challenges.
3G and 4G still matter
Even as 5G expands, the broader mobile broadband base remains important. 4G coverage reached 92% of the world population in 2024 (ITU ICT SDG indicators). 3G or better was available to 96% of the world population, which means the remaining global gap was just 4% (ITU ICT SDG indicators).
That is a good reminder that telecom systems are layered. Advanced networks get headlines, but widespread access still depends on the older coverage base.
Fixed broadband and network mix
Fixed connectivity continues to grow, and the composition of that growth is changing. Global fixed-broadband subscriptions reached 20 per 100 inhabitants in 2024 (ITU ICT SDG indicators). Over the period from 2015 to 2024, fixed-broadband subscriptions grew at an average annual rate of 6.3% (ITU ICT SDG indicators).
That growth rate shows that fixed broadband remains a core part of telecom expansion even in a mobile-first world. It also signals that households and businesses still value higher-capacity, more stable connections.
Fixed broadband by region
In Europe and Northern America, Australia and New Zealand, and Eastern and South-Eastern Asia, fixed-broadband penetration ranged from 36 to 38 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (ITU ICT SDG indicators). By contrast, in Sub-Saharan Africa, Central and Southern Asia, and Oceania excluding Australia and New Zealand, penetration was below 5 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants (ITU ICT SDG indicators).
Network mix in OECD countries
OECD data gives a clearer picture of how the fixed broadband mix is changing. In June 2023, fibre accounted for 41% of total fixed broadband subscriptions, DSL accounted for 22%, cable accounted for 30.5%, fixed wireless access accounted for 3.7%, and satellite accounted for 0.7% (OECD broadband statistics update).
That mix shows a market in transition. Fibre is the largest category, cable is still substantial, DSL is shrinking, and fixed wireless access remains small but growing.
Fixed broadband mix comparison
| Technology | Share of fixed broadband in OECD countries | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| Fibre | 41% | OECD broadband statistics update |
| Cable | 30.5% | OECD broadband statistics update |
| DSL | 22% | OECD broadband statistics update |
| Fixed wireless access | 3.7% | OECD broadband statistics update |
| Satellite | 0.7% | OECD broadband statistics update |
Growth signals inside the mix
The shifts in subscription types are significant. Between June 2020 and June 2023, in OECD countries, fibre subscriptions increased by 56% and fixed wireless access subscriptions increased by 64% (OECD broadband statistics update). In the same period, DSL subscriptions declined by 24% (OECD broadband statistics update).
Country-level data shows how uneven the transition can be. The United States recorded 252% fixed wireless access growth between June 2020 and June 2023 (OECD broadband statistics update). Estonia recorded 153%, Norway 139%, and Spain 118% over the same period (OECD broadband statistics update).
OECD broadband trend summary
- Fibre is expanding quickly.
- DSL is declining.
- Fixed wireless access is growing from a small base.
- Network choice increasingly depends on local economics and geography.
OECD telecommunications trends
The OECD figures help show how telecom markets evolve when access is already relatively mature. Mobile broadband subscriptions in OECD countries rose from 928 million in 2013 to 1.86 billion in 2023 (OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024). That is a large structural increase, not a marginal one.
OECD mobile broadband penetration reached 134 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2023 (OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024). This is a reminder that in advanced markets, subscriptions can exceed population because many users hold more than one connection.
Performance and usage
Speed and latency also improved. In OECD countries, median download speeds rose by 169% between Q4 2019 and Q4 2023, median upload speeds rose by 207%, and median latency fell by 20% (OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024).
Those changes matter because telecommunications statistics are not just about access counts. They also reflect the quality of the connection experience.
Usage per subscription
Mobile data use climbed too. In OECD broadband data, average mobile data usage per subscription increased from 10.2 GB to 13 GB per month between June 2022 and June 2023, which is a 28% increase (OECD broadband statistics update). The reported range across OECD countries was 6 GB to 46 GB per month in June 2023 (OECD broadband statistics update).
Latvia led the OECD with 46 GB per month per subscription (OECD broadband statistics update). That kind of spread shows how different national usage profiles can be even within a relatively comparable group of countries.
Mobile data usage snapshot
| Measure | Value | Source label |
|---|---|---|
| OECD average mobile data usage per subscription, June 2022 | 10.2 GB/month | OECD broadband statistics update |
| OECD average mobile data usage per subscription, June 2023 | 13 GB/month | OECD broadband statistics update |
| Year-over-year increase | 28% | OECD broadband statistics update |
| OECD country range | 6 to 46 GB/month | OECD broadband statistics update |
| Highest reported country | Latvia, 46 GB/month | OECD broadband statistics update |
What the OECD numbers suggest
- Networks are getting faster.
- Users are consuming more data.
- Fixed and mobile broadband are both evolving, but for different use cases.
- Infrastructure maturity does not eliminate variation in adoption or usage intensity.
What the numbers say about the market
Taken together, these telecommunications statistics point to three broad realities.
First, access is expanding, but the remaining gaps are concentrated. The world has 5.5 billion people online, yet 2.6 billion offline people remain outside the digital network (ITU Facts and Figures 2024 press release). Rural areas, low-income countries, and least developed countries still carry the heaviest access burden.
Second, infrastructure quality is improving, but not uniformly. Global 5G coverage is 51%, while some income groups and regions are still in the low single digits (ITU ICT SDG indicators). That means the industry is managing both frontier rollout and upgrade cycles at the same time.
Third, mature markets are shifting from access expansion to capacity, speed, and usage growth. OECD data shows rising fibre, growing fixed wireless access, faster speeds, and higher mobile data consumption (OECD broadband statistics update; OECD Digital Economy Outlook 2024).
These numbers do not describe one telecom market. They describe several markets moving at once: first-time adoption, network densification, affordability recovery, and performance upgrades. That is why telecommunications statistics remain useful beyond simple counts. They show where the next bottleneck is likely to appear.