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About 6 billion people used the internet in 2025, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), equal to 74% of the world’s population. A newer DataReportal/Manochi estimate puts the total at 6.12 billion people, or 73.8%, in an April 2026 snapshot. The figures are not a clean year-over-year series: they use different methods, reference dates and revision schedules.
Roughly 2.2 billion people were still offline under the ITU’s 2025 estimate. The defining 2026 story is therefore two-sided: internet adoption is broad and still expanding, while affordability, skills, quality and usage gaps prevent universal, meaningful access.
Global internet use at a glance
| Measure | Latest figure | Publisher and reference point | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| People using the internet | Approximately 6 billion (74% of the global population) | ITU, 2025 annual estimate | People who used the internet, using the ITU’s global statistical methodology |
| People offline | 2.2 billion | ITU, 2025 annual estimate | People not counted as internet users |
| Newer internet-user estimate | 6.12 billion (73.8%) | DataReportal/Manochi, April 2026 snapshot | Analysis assembled from reporting authorities and other inputs; subject to lag and revision |
| People using mobile internet | 4.8 billion (59% of the global population) | GSMA, end of 2025 | People using mobile internet, a subset of all internet use |
| Mobile usage gap | 3.1 billion (38% of the global population) | GSMA, 2026 report | People living within mobile-broadband coverage who do not use mobile internet |
| Outside mobile-broadband coverage | 3% of the global population | GSMA, 2026 report | People without mobile-broadband network coverage |
| Median mobile-broadband traffic | About 14 GB per subscription per month | ITU, 2024 Global Connectivity Report | Traffic per subscription, not a count of people or screen time |
These measures should not be added together. “Internet users,” mobile-internet users, subscriptions, people covered by a network and data traffic describe different things and can have different population denominators.
How many people use the internet worldwide?
The latest official annual global estimate identified by the ITU is approximately 6 billion users in 2025, representing 74% of the world’s population. ITU’s time series also records growth from 60% in 2020 to 74% in 2025, meaning about 1.3 billion people came online during that period.
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DataReportal/Manochi’s April 2026 snapshot estimates 6.12 billion users and 73.8% penetration. That apparently higher headcount should not be read as a sudden 2026 surge. DataReportal notes that national reporting can arrive late and that revisions—including revised estimates for large countries such as India and China—can change the global total.
Why the percentage is not 100%
The ITU estimates that 2.2 billion people remained offline in 2025. A global average hides major differences by region, income level, age, gender and whether people live in urban or rural areas. A person may be technically able to connect but still be excluded in practice because a suitable device, service plan or reliable electricity is unaffordable, or because online services are difficult to use.
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Mobile internet is the main access route, but coverage is not use
GSMA reports 4.8 billion mobile-internet users at the end of 2025, equal to 59% of the global population. This is a mobile-specific measure and cannot replace the ITU’s total-internet estimate.
The coverage gap
GSMA says 3% of people were outside mobile-broadband coverage in its 2026 report. Network expansion therefore remains necessary in some places, particularly remote and underserved areas.
The usage gap
Much larger is the usage gap: 3.1 billion people, or 38% of the global population, lived in an area with mobile-broadband coverage but did not use mobile internet. Coverage makes a connection possible; it does not prove that people can afford it, know how to use it or find it useful.
What is preventing wider adoption?
Affordability
The cost of an internet-enabled phone, data allowance and recurring service can be prohibitive even where networks are available. Household income, handset financing, taxes and data prices all affect whether coverage becomes regular use.
Awareness and perceived value
Some non-users are unaware of available services or do not yet see enough value in going online. Local-language content, relevant public services and trustworthy information can influence adoption.
Literacy and digital skills
Basic reading ability, confidence with apps and the ability to judge scams or misleading information are practical prerequisites for meaningful use. GSMA identifies literacy and digital skills as continuing barriers.
Quality and reliability
Connection quality matters as much as nominal availability. Slow speeds, congestion, outages, limited electricity and inconsistent indoor coverage can make a technically available service unusable for work, education or health care.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.5G is expanding, unevenly
In its 2025 Facts and Figures, the ITU says 5G reached more than half of the world’s population and represented more than one-third of mobile-broadband subscriptions. Deployment is concentrated in high-income countries, so global availability does not imply comparable 5G access in every region. The ITU also describes mobile-broadband coverage as nearly universal while emphasizing continuing differences in quality and affordability.
Internet adoption and internet intensity are different questions
The ITU’s Global Connectivity Report gives a global median of about 14 GB of mobile-broadband traffic per subscription per month in 2024. This is a network-traffic statistic. It is not the number of users, an average person’s screen time, a measure of unique individuals or proof that every subscription has the same experience. A subscription can be shared, automated or used by multiple devices.
How to compare internet statistics responsibly
- Identify the publisher and method. The ITU’s figure is an official global estimate; DataReportal/Manochi provides a newer analysis based on selected reporting authorities and inputs; GSMA focuses on mobile connectivity.
- Check the reference date. The figures above refer to the ITU’s 2025 annual estimate, GSMA’s end-of-2025 measure, the April 2026 DataReportal snapshot or the ITU’s 2024 traffic measure.
- Read the metric label. Confirm whether a number counts internet users, mobile-internet users, people covered by a network, subscriptions or gigabytes of traffic.
- Check the denominator and revisions. Population estimates, national updates and revised country data can change both totals and penetration percentages.
- Keep geography visible. A global average cannot answer whether access is affordable or reliable in a particular country, region or rural community. For country comparisons, use the ITU’s country and time-series data and name the year and indicator.
What the 2026 trend means
Internet adoption is approaching three-quarters of humanity, but the remaining quarter is not a single group with a single problem. Some people lack any network; many more live under coverage but do not use it. Closing that gap requires more than towers and fiber: affordable devices and data, dependable electricity and service quality, relevant content, accessibility and practical digital skills all matter.
The most defensible reading of 2026 statistics is therefore progress with persistent inequality. Use the ITU’s 2025 estimate as the official baseline, treat the April 2026 DataReportal/Manochi number as a newer but differently produced snapshot, and keep mobile adoption and traffic figures separate from the total number of people online.
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