Half the world is using the internet
 

ITU figures

The United Nations agency for information and communication technologies the ITU has been asking around and estimates that at the end of 2018, 51.2 percent of the global population, or 3.9 billion people, will be using the internet.

Houlin Zhao, ITU Secretary-General, said that ITU's global and regional estimates for 2018 are a pointer to the great strides the world is making towards building a more inclusive global information society,

“By the end of 2018, we will surpass the 50/50 milestone for Internet use. This represents an important step towards a more inclusive global information society. However, far too many people around the world are still waiting to reap the benefits of the digital economy. We must encourage more investment from the public and private sectors and create a good environment to attract investments, and support technology and business innovation so that the digital revolution leaves no one offline."

“The new 2018 estimates reveal that there continues to be a general upward trend in the access to and use of information and communication technologies", said Brahima Sanou, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau. “Access to telecommunication networks continues to increase, in particular in mobile connections. However, affordability should continue to be at the top of our priorities for the digital economy to become a reality for all."

According to ITU, in developed countries, slow and steady growth increased the percentage of the population using the Internet, from 51.3 percent in 2005 to 80.9 percent in 2018. In developing countries, growth has been much more sustained increasing from 7.7 percent in 2005 to 45.3 percent at the end of 2018. Of all ITU regions, the strongest growth was reported in Africa, where the percentage of people using the Internet increased from 2.1 percent in 2005 to 24.4 percent in 2018. According to the estimates, the regions with the lowest growth rates were Europe, at 79.6 per cent, and the Americas, with 69.6 percent of the population using the Internet. In the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) region, 71.3 percent will be using the internet; 54.7 percent in the Arab States and 47 percent in the Asia-Pacific region.

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