The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimates that the number of people worldwide without internet access decreased to 2.6 billion in 2023.
The latest data from ITU, the UN tech
agency also indicates that the reduction from the estimated 2.7 billion people
offline in 2022 leaves 33 per cent of the global population unconnected in
2023. “Sixty-seven per cent of the world's population, or 5.4 billion
people, are now online,” it noted.
"This improvement
in connectivity is another step in the right direction, and one more step
towards leaving no one behind in support of the UN Sustainable Development
Goals," said
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. "We won't rest until we live in a world where meaningful connectivity is
a lived reality for everyone, everywhere."
Acceleration needed to
bring digital benefits to all
According to
early estimates, growth in Internet connectivity remains the strongest in
low-income countries where data indicate that Internet users increased by about
17 per cent over the past year. However, less than one-third of individuals are
connected to the Internet in these countries.
“We must not forget that behind this data are people
who are not able to access the Internet and enjoy the life-changing benefits
that it can bring in the era of digital transformation," said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava,
Director of ITU's Telecommunication Development Bureau. “These numbers
highlight the importance of measuring and tracking data so that we know where
to focus our efforts to meaningfully connect everyone to the Internet by 2030.
With these developments, we must also focus on building digital skills for all
to equip users with the necessary skills that may help unlock value and have a
rewarding safe experience online."
The latest global
estimates confirm that the double-digit growth in Internet connectivity
observed at the 2020 peak of the COVID-19 pandemic was short-lived. Current trends are not
strong enough to guarantee that the objective of universal and meaningful
connectivity will be met by 2030.
Ensuring that everyone benefits
from digital technologies
Achieving
universal and meaningful connectivity by 2030 – the possibility for everyone to
enjoy a safe, satisfying, enriching and productive online experience at an
affordable cost – requires a comprehensive approach that addresses
infrastructure as well as other factors such as affordability and skills.
The Internet
is an essential tool to access information, employment opportunities and
education. People without meaningful access may be left behind. This becomes
more important as technologies such as artificial intelligence become more
prevalent in our day-to-day lives.
ITU works
closely with partners to ensure that those who are connected have the skills
and knowledge to use it. ITU projects aimed at
making connectivity meaningful include the ITU Academy, the ITU Academy Training Centres (ATC) Network.
“Promoting and measuring
universal and meaningful digital connectivity," a project
funded by the European Union. ITU's Partner2Connect Digital
Initiative serves as a pledging platform and action framework
to advance universal connectivity and digital transformation globally.
The new estimates on
global connectivity come as ITU and UNDP prepare to convene SDG Digital at
UN Headquarters in New York on 17 September to take stock of how digital
technologies can support the Sustainable Development Goals and explore the
opportunities offered by digital technologies to accelerate them.