Edited and reviewed by Brett Stadelmann, Editor
Internet access is often talked about as if it’s a simple yes/no question: online or offline. In reality, global connectivity is a spectrum shaped by affordability, infrastructure, devices, skills, and safety. Two people may both “have access” and still live in completely different digital worlds.
The headline progress is real. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that about 6 billion people are using the internet in 2025—roughly three-quarters of the world’s population—while 2.2 billion people remain offline. Source (ITU, Facts and Figures 2025)
How many people have internet access?
As of 2025, ITU estimates:
- ~6 billion people are using the internet.
- ~2.2 billion people remain offline.
Even within those numbers, national experiences vary sharply. ITU’s 2025 estimates highlight that:
- 94% of people in high-income countries use the internet, compared with 23% in low-income countries.
- 96% of those offline live in low- and middle-income countries.
- Connectivity differs by place and identity: 85% of urban residents are online versus 58% of rural residents, and 77% of men are online versus 71% of women.
Source (ITU, digital divide breakdowns)
For a longer historical view across countries, the World Bank’s indicator “Individuals using the Internet (% of population)” is widely used in research and policy. It defines an “internet user” as someone who has used the internet in the last three months, from any location, via any device. Source (World Bank definition and series)
Coverage isn’t the same as connection
A key reason the digital divide persists is that connectivity has two different “gaps”:
- Coverage gap: people who live outside mobile broadband coverage or other workable infrastructure.
- Usage gap: people who live within coverage but still do not use the internet meaningfully—or at all—because of affordability, skills, device access, electricity, safety concerns, or lack of relevant content.
Mobile coverage has expanded dramatically, but “within reach” does not mean “connected.” GSMA has highlighted that 96% of the world’s population lives within areas with mobile internet coverage available, yet more than 3 billion people remain offline despite that reach—illustrating how large the usage gap can be when the barriers are social and economic rather than purely technical. Source (GSMA, usage gap)
For sustainability, the usage gap matters because it is tightly linked to inequality: the people most likely to be offline are also those most vulnerable to climate shocks, rising prices, and service disruptions. If information and services are “digital by default,” being disconnected becomes a compounding disadvantage.
What “meaningful” internet access actually means
Internet access is becoming less about whether a signal exists and more about whether connection supports real human needs. ITU uses the concept of universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC), defined as the possibility for everyone to enjoy a safe, satisfying, enriching, productive, and affordable online experience. Source (ITU UMC)
In practical terms, meaningful connectivity depends on multiple dimensions:
- Quality: fast and reliable enough for real tasks (not just messaging).
- Availability: consistent access when needed.
- Affordability: data and services within reach of household budgets.
- Devices: appropriate devices that people can obtain and maintain.
- Skills: the ability to use digital tools confidently and safely.
- Security: protection from scams, harassment, and harmful surveillance.
Why does this matter? Because a weak link in any one dimension can make the rest irrelevant. A high-speed network doesn’t help if people can’t afford data. A cheap data plan doesn’t help if a household can’t afford a device. A device doesn’t help if the electricity supply is unreliable. And “access” can become a liability if online life is unsafe.
The biggest barriers keeping people offline
Barriers vary by region, but the most common blockers are remarkably consistent worldwide:
Affordability
For many households, the real barrier is not the existence of a network but the monthly cost of staying connected. ITU’s 2025 reporting emphasizes that affordability and digital skills remain essential to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity. Source (ITU Facts and Figures 2025)
Devices and repairability
Devices are often a “hidden” barrier. A network can reach a community, but a smartphone may still be out of budget—especially once you include charging, repairs, and replacement. From a sustainability perspective, the affordability problem intersects with e-waste: when devices are expensive, fragile, and hard to repair, people are pushed into cycles of low-quality hardware and premature replacement.
Skills and language
Skills can be as decisive as infrastructure. Many people are technically “covered” but lack confidence navigating online services, identifying misinformation, avoiding scams, or applying for work and education opportunities. Language can also be a barrier: if most useful content is not in local languages, connectivity feels irrelevant.
Electricity and resilience
Connectivity depends on power. In areas with unstable electricity, being “online” can mean short, unpredictable windows of access. Climate extremes—heatwaves, floods, storms—also threaten network resilience and power infrastructure, increasing the stakes of building robust, locally appropriate systems.
Safety, privacy, and harassment
“Safe to use” is part of meaningful connectivity. If people—especially women, LGBTQ+ communities, journalists, or activists—face harassment or surveillance online, the internet becomes a risk rather than an opportunity.
Why internet access matters for sustainability and justice
Connectivity can support sustainability, but it can also magnify inequality if it arrives in uneven, extractive ways. A few of the clearest links are:
- Education and skills: online learning, training, and access to information can broaden opportunity—if data, devices, and content are accessible.
- Livelihoods: market access, mobile payments, and remote work can strengthen economic resilience—if people can participate safely and reliably.
- Disaster preparedness and response: early warnings, coordination, and recovery support increasingly rely on digital channels.
- Accountability and participation: civic engagement and access to public services often shift online, which can exclude those without meaningful connectivity.
At the same time, digital systems have environmental costs: device manufacturing, data centers, network energy use, and electronic waste. The sustainability question is not “internet or no internet,” but whether connectivity is expanded in ways that are resilient, repairable, affordable, and inclusive—rather than high-consumption and exclusionary.
What actually helps close the digital divide
There is no universal solution, but the patterns of what works are well established:
- Make access affordable: competitive markets, targeted subsidies, community networks, and public access points can reduce the cost barrier.
- Support device access and repair: financing, refurbished-device programs, and repair ecosystems extend device life and reduce e-waste.
- Invest in skills: digital literacy programs work best when they are practical, local-language, and linked to real outcomes (jobs, services, education).
- Build resilience: networks must withstand climate disruptions, and power reliability must be part of connectivity planning.
- Make online spaces safer: harassment prevention, consumer protections, and privacy safeguards affect real participation.
- Prioritize meaningful connectivity: measure success by whether people can do what they need to do online, not merely by coverage maps.
FAQ
How is “internet user” measured?
A widely used definition (including the World Bank indicator sourced from ITU) counts an internet user as someone who has used the internet in the last three months, from any location and using any device. Source (World Bank)
Why do billions stay offline even where networks exist?
Because “coverage” doesn’t remove the barriers that shape daily life: affordability, devices, electricity, skills, safety concerns, and the relevance of available content. In many places, the usage gap (covered but not using) is significantly larger than the coverage gap (not covered). Source (GSMA)
Does expanding internet access help sustainability?
It can—by supporting education, efficiency, and resilience—but it also comes with environmental costs. The sustainability goal is to expand access in ways that are inclusive, energy-aware, and repairable, while minimizing waste and exclusion.
Sources and methodology
This article uses the most recent global estimates available at the time of update (December 2025). Key global totals and breakdowns come from ITU’s 2025 connectivity statistics and reporting. Definitions and long-run country trends are supported by the World Bank’s internet-use indicator (sourced from ITU) and Our World in Data’s visualization of internet use over time. Discussion of coverage versus usage gaps draws on GSMA reporting on mobile internet adoption barriers and the “usage gap.”
Because countries measure and report connectivity differently, “internet access” should be interpreted with care. Being “online” does not imply high-quality service, affordability, safety, or the ability to use the internet for education, work, and essential services—those are addressed through the concept of universal and meaningful connectivity.
Recommended primary sources:
- ITU: Facts and Figures 2025 (press release summary)
- ITU: Facts and Figures 2025 (report page)
- ITU: Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC)
- ITU: Global Connectivity Report 2025
- GSMA: Press release on the mobile internet usage gap
- World Bank: Individuals using the Internet (% of population)
- Our World in Data: Share of population using the internet