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ICT trends in the LDCs

By end 2017, almost one out of five people (17.5%) in the LDCs will be online, compared to only 6% in 2012. 15% of households in LDCs have Internet access at home.

LDCs will register some 700 million mobile-cellular subscriptions, about 70 per 100 inhabitants. At the same time, the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions is estimated to reach close to 220 million by end 2017, translating into a penetration rate of 22%. Close to 60% of the population in LDCs is covered by a mobile-broadband signal, and an increasing number of LDCs have launched 4G services.

ICT trends in the LDCs Graph

For more information on fixed and mobile broadband uptake, ICT prices, bandwidth development and much more, see the ITU Facts and Figures 2017 (in pdf format), and the ITU's latest ICT statistics.   

 

Internet penetration rate for men and women, 2017


The digital gender gap persists, and is most pronounced in the LDCs. In LDCs, only one out of seven women is using the Internet compared with one out of five men.   

Proportion of youth (15-24) Internet users and youth in the population, 2017

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Young people are at the forefront of today's information society: in developed countries, 94% of the 15-24 year olds use the Internet, compared with 67% in developing countries. In the LDC's 30% of young people are online.

In LDCs, 35% of all individuals using the Internet are young people aged 15-24, compared with 13% in developed countries and 23% globally.


​As the UN specialized agency for ICTs, ITU assists LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS by implementing activities, programmes and projects to increase their capacity to participate fully in, and benefit from the opportunities of, the information society.

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LDCs Statistics

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