If you wonder who is still offline, here is the digital divide explained: 2.2 billion people remain offline in 2025, 96 per cent of them in low- and middle-income countries. Price, quality and skills now matter as much as access.
This guide is one part of the wider topic of technology and society.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| People using the internet worldwide, 2025 | 6 billion (about three-quarters of the world’s population) |
| People still offline worldwide, 2025 | 2.2 billion |
| Internet use in high-income countries | 94 per cent of people |
| Internet use in low-income countries | 23 per cent of people |
| Internet use in urban versus rural areas | 85 per cent versus 58 per cent |
| Share of offline people living in low- and middle-income countries | 96 per cent |
These figures come from the ITU press release for Facts and Figures 2025, dated 17 November 2025. Estimates are revised from year to year, so check the source before you rely on them.
What the digital divide means
The digital divide describes unequal access to the internet and unequal ability to make use of it. Counting who has a connection is only the first layer of that gap.
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is the United Nations agency for digital technologies. In its 17 November 2025 release, it describes meaningful connectivity as being reached when everyone can access the internet with high-quality service, at an affordable cost, whenever and wherever needed (ITU).
ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin put it this way: today’s digital divides are being defined by speed, reliability, affordability and skills. In other words, being “online” no longer tells you much on its own.
How many people are still offline?
As of the ITU’s November 2025 estimates, 2.2 billion people remain offline. An estimated 6 billion people, about three-quarters of the world’s population, are using the internet in 2025 (ITU Facts and Figures 2025).
The world’s online population grew by more than 240 million people in 2025. The offline figure is down from a revised estimate of 2.3 billion in 2024.
Treat these numbers as estimates, not fixed counts. For 2024, the ITU revised its original estimate of 5.5 billion people online to 5.8 billion, equivalent to 71 per cent of the world’s population. It also revised the original estimate of 2.6 billion people offline to 2.3 billion, equivalent to 29 per cent.
Where the gaps are widest
According to the ITU, digital development remains closely linked to economic development, gender and location. Its 2025 report lists several persistent divides (ITU):
- Income: 94 per cent of people in high-income countries use the internet, against only 23 per cent in low-income countries.
- Who is offline: 96 per cent of those offline live in low- and middle-income countries.
- Gender: 77 per cent of men are online, compared with 71 per cent of women.
- Location: 85 per cent of people in urban areas are online, versus 58 per cent in rural areas.
- Age: 82 per cent of 15-24-year-olds use the internet, compared with 72 per cent of the rest of the population.
Across this list, the income and location gaps are the widest. The gender and age gaps are smaller, but they still show that connection is unevenly shared even where networks exist.
Beyond access: speed, price and skills
Connection quality is the newest part of the story. The ITU estimates that 5G networks cover 55 per cent of the world’s population in 2025, but 84 per cent of people in high-income countries have access to 5G, compared with only 4 per cent in low-income countries (ITU).
The release adds that 4G and 3G services are available to most of the global population. It says these services are not best suited for keeping pace with advancing technologies.
Use of the network shows the same split. A typical user in a high-income country now generates nearly eight times more mobile data than one in a low-income country, which the ITU treats as an indicator of the quality gap.
Price is another barrier. The median price of a data-only mobile broadband basket decreased, yet access remains unaffordable in around 60 per cent of low- and middle-income countries (ITU).
Skills complete the picture. The ITU’s data suggest most internet users have basic digital skills, while more advanced capabilities such as online safety, problem-solving and digital content creation are developing more slowly.
What the divide costs and what closing it takes
The ITU release does not put a monetary figure on the divide. What it documents is unequal access to the benefits of being online, including from advancing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Questions about how AI systems treat different groups are a separate matter, explained in the piece on what is algorithmic bias. The hardware side of connecting more people is also its own issue, covered in the guide to the e-waste problem.
ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau Director Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava said that achieving universal connectivity will require sustained and well-targeted efforts in three areas (ITU):
- Infrastructure
- Digital skills
- Data systems
He also stressed that reliable data are the foundation of effective digital policies. Without good measurement, it is hard to tell whether the gaps above are narrowing.
Frequently asked questions
What is the digital divide?
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It is the gap between people who can benefit from being online and people who cannot. The ITU links it to income, gender and location, and to the quality, price and skills that shape how useful a connection really is.
How many people are offline?
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As of the ITU’s 17 November 2025 release, 2.2 billion people remain offline, down from a revised estimate of 2.3 billion in 2024 (ITU). Check the source for later revisions.
Is the divide only about having a connection?
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No. The ITU points to speed, reliability, affordability and skills as well. Access to mobile broadband remains unaffordable in around 60 per cent of low- and middle-income countries, according to the same release (ITU).
Who is most likely to be offline?
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People in low- and middle-income countries make up 96 per cent of those offline. Within countries, 58 per cent of people in rural areas are online versus 85 per cent in urban areas, and 71 per cent of women versus 77 per cent of men (ITU).
