Internet use reached an estimated 5.5 billion people worldwide in 2024, but adoption remained uneven by income, location and age. These statistics distinguish people who used the Internet from subscriptions, traffic volumes and standardized affordability measures.
Key Internet Use Statistics
The most broadly useful internet use statistics include:
- In 2024, 5.5 billion people worldwide used the Internet, according to an ITU estimate.
- In 2024, 68% of the world population used the Internet, according to the ITU.
- In 2024, about 2.6 billion people worldwide remained offline, according to the ITU.
- Global Internet penetration increased from 40% in 2015 to 68% in 2024.
- In 2024, 93% of people in high-income countries used the Internet.
- In 2024, 27% of people in low-income countries used the Internet.
- In 2024, 83% of urban dwellers worldwide used the Internet.
- In 2024, 48% of rural residents worldwide used the Internet.
- In 2024, 79% of people aged 15–24 worldwide used the Internet.
- In 2024, 93% of EU residents aged 16–74 used the Internet during the previous three months.
- In 2024, 85% of EU residents aged 16–74 used the Internet for calls, video calls or instant messaging.
- In 2024, global mobile broadband traffic was estimated at nearly 1.3 zettabytes.
- In 2024, fixed broadband traffic was estimated at 6 zettabytes worldwide.
- In 2024, there were 95 mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide.
- In 2024, the global median mobile-broadband basket price was 1.1% of GNI per capita.
- In 2024, 140 of 208 economies met the affordability target for at least one entry-level broadband basket.
Contents
- Global internet use statistics and adoption trends
- Internet use statistics by income group and region
- Urban, rural and youth internet use statistics
- Internet use by activity in the European Union
- Internet traffic and broadband consumption data
- Internet access, subscriptions and affordability statistics
Global Internet Use Statistics and Adoption Trends
The ITU estimated that 5.5 billion people used the Internet in 2024, equal to 68% of the world population. About 2.6 billion people remained offline, or approximately one-third of the global population; the ITU notes that estimates and historical values can be revised. ITU, Facts and Figures 2024 – Internet use
| Measure | Earlier period | Later period | Geography |
|---|---|---|---|
| Internet penetration | 40% in 2015 | 68% in 2024 | World |
| Internet-use share | 53% in 2019 | 68% in 2024 | World |
| Regional penetration range | — | 87%–92% in 2024 | Europe, CIS and the Americas |
The global internet-use share rose from 65% in 2023 to 68% in 2024. The 2015–2024 and 2019–2024 comparisons are ITU historical estimates, so earlier values may be revised.
Internet Use Statistics by Income Group and World Region
Income remains a major dividing line in Internet adoption. In 2024, use reached 93% in high-income countries but only 27% in low-income countries; the ITU also estimated 35% in least developed countries and 39% in landlocked developing countries.
| Income group or region | Internet use in 2024 | Comparison or trend |
|---|---|---|
| High-income countries | 93% | 88% in 2019 |
| Upper-middle-income countries | 81% | 65% in 2019 |
| Lower-middle-income countries | 54% | 34% in 2019 |
| Low-income countries | 27% | 17% in 2019 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | About four in five people | 2024 rounded description |
Internet use rose in every listed income group between 2019 and 2024: from 88% to 93% in high-income countries, 65% to 81% in upper-middle-income countries, 34% to 54% in lower-middle-income countries, and 17% to 27% in low-income countries. In 2024, Internet use in low-income economies grew at an average annual rate of 8.5%; this is a growth rate, not an 8.5-percentage-point increase in penetration. ITU, Facts and Figures 2024 – Internet use
Urban, Rural and Youth Internet Use Statistics
Location strongly shaped Internet participation in 2024. Worldwide, 83% of urban dwellers used the Internet compared with 48% of rural residents, and 1.8 billion of the 2.6 billion people offline lived in rural areas; about 800 million offline people lived in urban areas. ITU, Facts and Figures 2024 – Internet use in urban and rural areas
| Population or region | Internet-use measure in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Urban population worldwide | 83% |
| Rural population worldwide | 48% |
| Rural residents in low-income countries | 16% |
| Europe urban-rural ratio | 1.1 |
| Africa urban-rural ratio | 2.5 |
| Low-income-country urban-rural ratio | 2.9 |
The urban-rural gap was especially pronounced in low-income countries, where only 16% of rural residents used the Internet and the urban-rural usage ratio was 2.9. The ratios are derived from ITU regional penetration percentages, rather than counts of unique users.
Age also mattered. In 2024, 79% of people aged 15–24 used the Internet worldwide, compared with 66% of people outside that age group, a 13-percentage-point difference.
In low-income countries, 15–24-year-olds were 1.9 times as likely to use the Internet as other individuals; the ITU describes this as a relative comparison, not an odds ratio. ITU, Facts and Figures 2024 – Youth Internet use
Internet Use by Activity in the European Union
Eurostat’s 2024 survey covers EU residents aged 16–74 and asks about activities during the previous three months. It found that 93% used the Internet in that period, up from 86% in 2019; activity percentages are self-reported and are not mutually exclusive. Eurostat, People online in 2024
| Online activity | EU residents aged 16–74 in 2024 |
|---|---|
| Calls, video calls or instant messaging | 85% |
| 80% | |
| Finding information about goods and services | 75% |
| Watching TV or videos | 73% |
| Internet banking | 67% |
| Taking an online course | 17% |
| Online consultations or voting on civic or political issues | 10% |
Communication was the most common listed activity: 85% used the Internet for calls, video calls or instant messaging, while 80% used email. Three-quarters used it to find information about goods and services, 73% watched TV or videos, and 67% used Internet banking.
Less common activities included online courses at 17% and online consultations or voting on civic or political issues at 10%. These figures describe reported activity within the survey’s three-month reference window, not daily use or exclusive categories.
Internet Traffic and Broadband Consumption Data
Internet participation and traffic measure different things: one concerns people using the Internet, while the other measures open-Internet end-user traffic. ITU traffic figures exclude walled gardens and IPTV, and the 2024 values are estimates or forecasts.
| Traffic measure | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile broadband traffic worldwide | About 1 zettabyte | Nearly 1.3 zettabytes, estimated |
| Fixed broadband traffic worldwide | 5.1 zettabytes | 6 zettabytes, estimated |
| Average monthly mobile traffic per subscription worldwide | — | 13.9 GB |
| Average monthly fixed traffic per subscription in high-income countries | — | 435 GB |
From 2021 onward, mobile broadband traffic grew by an average of 19.6% per year, while fixed broadband traffic grew by 15.2% per year. Average monthly mobile broadband traffic per subscription in 2024 was 16.2 GB in high-income countries, 2 GB in low-income countries, 3.1 GB in Africa and 19.1 GB in the CIS. ITU, Facts and Figures 2024 – Internet traffic
Fixed-broadband consumption was also uneven. Average monthly fixed-broadband traffic per subscription was 200–250 GB in low- and middle-income economies and 435 GB in high-income countries in 2024; the first figure is an ITU rounded range.
Internet Access, Subscription and Affordability Statistics
Subscriptions are connections, not unique people. In 2024, the world had 112 mobile-cellular subscriptions and 95 mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants; fixed-broadband subscriptions had grown by an average of 5.9% per year over the previous five years. ITU, Facts and Figures 2024 – Subscriptions
Affordability statistics use standardized entry-level service baskets rather than observed household bills. The mobile-broadband basket requires at least 2 GB of monthly data, while the fixed-broadband basket requires at least 5 GB and a 256 kbit/s advertised download speed.
| Affordability measure | Earlier value | 2024 value | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile-broadband basket price | 1.3% of GNI per capita in 2023 | 1.1% | 208 economies with comparable data |
| Fixed-broadband basket price | 2.8% of GNI per capita in 2023 | 2.5% | 194 economies with comparable data |
| Economies meeting target for at least one basket | — | 140 of 208 | Less than 2% of monthly GNI per capita |
| Low- and middle-income economies meeting target | — | 65 | At least one of two baskets |
In 2024, a mobile-broadband basket consumed about 19 times as much income in low-income economies as in high-income economies. The comparison uses basket price as a share of income, not a comparison of nominal currency prices. ITU, Facts and Figures 2024 – Affordability of ICT services
For interpreting “Internet use,” the World Bank defines its comparable indicator as individuals who used the Internet from any location during the last three months. The definition is not limited to computer use and can include phones, game machines and digital televisions. World Bank, Individuals using the Internet (% of population) – Metadata Glossary