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 describe different reference periods and methods, so they should not be treated as a precise year-over-year series.
The key global internet-use figures
| Measure | Figure | Publisher and reference period | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| People using the internet | Approximately 6 billion (74% of the world population) | ITU, 2025 annual estimate | Global internet use |
| People still offline | 2.2 billion | ITU, 2025 | People not using the internet |
| Internet users | 6.12 billion (73.8%) | DataReportal/Manochi, April 2026 snapshot | Internet-user estimate subject to reporting delays and revisions |
| Mobile internet users | 4.8 billion (59% of the global population) | GSMA, end of 2025 | People using mobile internet |
| Mobile usage gap | 3.1 billion (38%) | GSMA, 2026 report | People living in mobile-broadband coverage areas but not using mobile internet |
| Outside mobile-broadband coverage | 3% of the global population | GSMA, 2026 report | People without mobile-broadband coverage |
| Mobile broadband traffic | About 14 GB per subscription per month | ITU, 2024 | Global median traffic, not a user count or screen-time measure |
These metrics are not interchangeable. Internet users, mobile-internet users, subscriptions, coverage and traffic use different definitions, denominators and reference dates.
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. The ITU says the share rose from 60% in 2020 and that about 1.3 billion people came online during that five-year period.
DataReportal/Manochi’s April 2026 analysis estimates 6.12 billion users, or 73.8% of the global population. It warns that national reporting can lag and that revisions—including changes affecting India and China—can alter the estimate. A newer publication therefore does not necessarily indicate a sudden change in adoption.
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How many people are still offline?
The ITU estimates that 2.2 billion people remained offline in 2025. DataReportal/Manochi’s April 2026 snapshot estimates 2.17 billion. The small difference should not be read as a measured annual decline because the sources use different data processes and revision schedules.
The offline population is not defined solely by missing network infrastructure. Many people live in areas where broadband is available but do not adopt or regularly use the service.
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Mobile internet is the main access route—but coverage is not usage
GSMA reports that 4.8 billion people used mobile internet at the end of 2025, equal to 59% of the global population. Its 2026 connectivity report also identifies a 3.1-billion-person mobile usage gap: people who live within mobile-broadband coverage but are not using mobile internet. A further 3% of people remain outside mobile-broadband coverage.
This distinction matters when interpreting infrastructure statistics. A country can have extensive 4G or 5G coverage while large groups remain offline or use the internet only sporadically.
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ITU’s 2025 connectivity facts report says 5G reaches more than half of the world’s population and represents more than one-third of mobile-broadband subscriptions. Coverage is concentrated in high-income countries, so the global average masks substantial differences between regions and income groups.
Why people remain offline
- Affordability: The cost of an internet-capable phone, data plans and reliable electricity can be prohibitive.
- Awareness and perceived value: Coverage does not guarantee that people know how to use services or see a practical benefit.
- Literacy and digital skills: Skills gaps can prevent safe, productive use even where networks and devices are available.
- Quality and reliability: Slow, congested or intermittent service can make nominal access less meaningful.
- Geographic and social inequality: Rural areas and lower-income communities often face weaker service, fewer devices and less support.
ITU reporting highlights affordability and quality differences, while GSMA specifically identifies awareness, the ability to afford an internet-enabled phone, and literacy and digital skills as adoption barriers.
Internet adoption from 2020 to 2026
The clearest comparable trend in the available official series is ITU’s increase from 60% of the global population using the internet in 2020 to 74% in 2025. The 2026 DataReportal/Manochi figure is a newer snapshot rather than a final 2026 annual count. It should be used to describe the current scale, not to claim that adoption definitively accelerated or slowed in 2026.
Why global percentages can move after publication
- National statistical offices may publish data months after the period measured.
- Population estimates used as denominators are revised.
- Analysts may replace modeled values with new country data.
- Definitions of an internet user and survey coverage differ by source.
What internet-traffic statistics tell us
ITU’s Global Connectivity Report gives a global median mobile-broadband traffic figure of about 14 GB per subscription per month in 2024. This is a subscription traffic measure. It does not show how many individuals are online, how long people spend on screens, or whether their connection supports meaningful participation. One person may hold multiple subscriptions, and a subscription can be shared.
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How to interpret 2026 internet statistics responsibly
- Name the publisher and method. Treat the ITU as the official source for global ICT statistics and identify DataReportal/Manochi as an independent analysis.
- State the reference date. Distinguish the ITU’s 2025 annual estimate, GSMA’s end-of-2025 mobile measure and the April 2026 snapshot.
- Define the metric. Say whether a number counts internet users, mobile-internet users, coverage, subscriptions or traffic.
- Carry caveats with the number. Mention reporting lags, revisions and population-denominator changes when using the DataReportal/Manochi estimate.
- Avoid treating a global average as universal experience. Compare regions, income groups and urban-rural areas using the ITU’s downloadable country and time-series indicators when a country-level answer is required.
What the numbers mean for 2026
Internet adoption is broad but not universal: roughly three-quarters of humanity is online, while more than two billion people are not. The next stage of growth depends less on simply extending a signal and more on converting coverage into affordable, useful and skilled use. Mobile networks will remain central, but the size of the usage gap shows why coverage targets alone cannot describe digital inclusion.
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