Global connectivity growing, but gap remains between high- and low-income countries

GENEVA, Nov.27 (Xinhua) -- Global Internet usage continues to rise, with 5.5 billion people estimated to have Internet connection in 2024. Digital connectivity, however, remains tightly linked to the level of overall development, according to a flagship report issued Wednesday by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

Entitled "Facts and Figures 2024", the report shows that this year, 227 million more people have gained online access compared to 2023, accounting for 68 percent of the global population. This leaves 2.6 billion people without Internet connection in 2024, accounting for 32 percent of the population, with 1.8 billion of them living in rural areas.

In 2024, the report shows, 93 percent of the population in high-income countries is estimated to be using the Internet, while in low-income countries, it is only 27 percent.

According to the report, 5G coverage is estimated to reach 51 percent of the global population in 2024, with significant disparities between high- and low-income countries: 84 percent and 4 percent, respectively.

In 2024, the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions has been catching up with the number of mobile-cellular subscriptions, while fixed broadband remains a luxury for many; the average monthly mobile-broadband traffic per user in high-income countries has been 16.2GB, eight times higher than in low-income economies, according to the report.