ITU-D Publications

The Global Connectivity Report 2025 provides a comprehensive assessment of the evolution of global connectivity, which has progressed from a scarce resource in 1994 to an essential pillar of daily life, with approximately 6 billion people estimated to be online by 2025. The report frames its analysis around the policy imperative of achieving universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC), defined by six interdependent dimensions: Quality, Availability, Affordability, Devices, Skills, and Security.

ITU’s Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures series presents annual global, regional and income-group estimates for key connectivity indicators. The 2025 edition shows that almost three-quarters of the world’s population are now online. Yet progress is slowing, and 2.2 billion people remain offline – most of them in low and middle income countries.

The publications are the principal result of each Study Group question and are based on contributions received from ITU-D membership. All stakeholders, especially those in developing countries, can use the insights and findings to: adapt guidelines from the report into their national policy, connect to countries and partners for capacity building and in-country implementation actions, and move closer to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), targets and their specific development priorities. ​
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The Digital Transformation Centres (DTC) Initiative began with a clear vision: to help more people, particularly those in rural and underserved areas, acquire the digital skills they need to thrive in today’s connected world. Launched in September 2019 through a partnership between ITU and Cisco, the Initiative has grown into a global effort to support communities left behind in the digital age. ​
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In an increasingly connected world, access to meaningful and affordable connectivity is not a privilege it is a fundamental enabler of social and economic development. Yet, for billions around the globe, especially in underserved and remote communities, this promise remains unfulfilled. Bridging the digital divide requires more than expanding coverage; it demands a new paradigm of transformational connectivity, one that unlocks opportunity, drives innovation, and ensures no one is left behind.​ ​
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The GSR-25 Best Practice Guidelines provide timely and practical direction for regulators ready to lead in building inclusive, resilient and innovation-driven digital ecosystems.

This Toolkit provides policymakers and other industry actors with a practical, step-by-step guide to establishing an inclusive and fair e-waste management system, enhanced by the concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). It features insights from ICT and environmental experts to support decision-making, especially in countries with emerging or no e-waste policies.​
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This report explores sustainable connectivity and digital skills models aimed at broadening digital access and skills opportunities for youth not in employment, education or training (YNEETs) in rural and township communities in South Africa.

This special edition of ITU’s Facts and Figures series presents a comprehensive overview of digital progress in LLDCs, with key data and analysis on connectivity, affordability, and digital policy. It highlights both the diversity of experiences across LLDCs and the common challenges they face, offering insights to guide action toward universal and meaningful connectivity.​

This report explores sustainable connectivity and digital skills models aimed at broadening digital access and skills opportunities for youth not in employment, education or training (YNEETs) in rural and township communities in South Africa.

This special edition of ITU’s Facts and Figures series presents a comprehensive overview of digital progress in LLDCs, with key data and analysis on connectivity, affordability, and digital policy. It highlights both the diversity of experiences across LLDCs and the common challenges they face, offering insights to guide action toward universal and meaningful connectivity.​

The 2025 edition of ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI) confirms steady progress toward universal and meaningful connectivity. The global average score rose for the third consecutive year, with low-income economies achieving the fastest gains. However, persistent disparities remain, especially in affordability and usage.

This report analyses the costs of connecting to the Internet and providing Internet services in Nigeria, and seeks to provide clear recommendations for the telecommunication business and policy in the country.

The fourth edition of the Greening Digital Companies: Monitoring Emissions and Climate Commitments report continues to track greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, energy use and climate commitments of 200 digital companies. The Greening Digital Companies report is based on the most recent full fiscal year for which consistent data can be obtained across all companies — currently 2023.

Measuring digital development - The affordability of ICT services 2024 presents timely insights and recent trends on the affordability of ICT services. Based on ITU’s ICT price data collection 2024 for five connectivity services, the analysis also addresses affordability divides across and within countries that continue to hamper universal and meaningful connectivity.

Publication Date: May 2025

Using econometric models, the study reveals the impact of ICT on innovation, productivity, and digital inclusion. Although growth has slowed, the ICT sector remains a key driver of economic transformation, with ongoing advancements in connectivity expected to sustain its long-term influence. Broadband adoption continues to rise, supported by greater coverage and affordability.

The CIS region is advancing toward universal digital connectivity, with high Internet use and mobile broadband affordability. However, disparities in infrastructure, regulatory maturity, and digital skills remain. This report examines key trends and showcases impactful initiatives driving digital development across the region.

Africa is at a key point in its digital transformation. While progress is underway, the region continues to face challenges in infrastructure, affordability, and regulation. This report provides an assessment of digital development trends and highlights key policy initiatives shaping connectivity across the region.

The Americas region showcases strong progress in digital development, yet challenges such as connectivity gaps, affordability, and digital inclusion persist. This report explores key trends, policy developments, and regional initiatives driving digital transformation across the region.

Asia and the Pacific is a powerhouse of digital transformation, yet stark inequalities remain. This report examines connectivity expansion, innovation, affordability, and digital inclusion, outlining strategies to achieve universal and meaningful connectivity across this diverse region.

The joint ITU–World Bank case study, "Measuring National ICT Sector Environmental Impact: Arcep Case Study – France," highlights how France adopts a collaborative approach to collecting environmental data from the ICT sector and using it to integrate digital and environmental strategies into national policymaking.

Europe leads in digital connectivity, with near-universal broadband access and advanced regulatory frameworks. This report analyzes trends, investment gaps, cybersecurity challenges, and sustainability efforts, highlighting how the region can maintain its leadership in the digital economy.

The Arab States region is making strides in digital development, with 95 per cent mobile broadband coverage. However, disparities persist in usage, affordability, and digital skills. This report explores key trends, regulatory developments, and initiatives shaping the region’s digital transformation.

This framework, designed to help countries understand and navigate their unique cybersecurity ecosystems, emerged from the recognition of the need for a more comprehensive approach to cybersecurity capacity development.

ITU’s Measuring digital development: Facts and Figures 2024 offers a snapshot of the most important ICT indicators, including estimates for the current year. This year's edition shows that Internet use continues to grow, but universality remains elusive, especially in low-income regions. Furthermore, there is a lack of progress in bridging the urban-rural divide, except in the lowest income group.

This report proposes a framework for a comprehensive study of 5G enablers for ITU Member States in the Asia and the Pacific region to enhance understanding of each individual country’s readiness and preparedness for the next generation of wireless communication technology and to provide insights and suggestions for improvements needed for 5G mobile development and adoption.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) have collaborated on the joint “Greening Digital Companies: Monitoring Emissions and Climate Commitments 2024” report. This year’s report, now in its third edition, offers an in-depth evaluation of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy usage of 200 digital companies, focusing on corporate value chain (Scope 3) emissions.

This edition of the ITU Digital Skills Toolkit offers a comprehensive, step-by-step guide to support the ITU membership to create effective national digital skills strategies and policies. This practical resource offers actionable insights and examples, making it a valuable tool for countries at all stages of digital development.

This edition of the Global Cybersecurity Index features record engagement by countries and is our most rigorous yet. Each country submission has been independently verified for accuracy, against consistent baselines and definitions.

This report outlines strategies and frameworks aimed at ensuring coordination across all levels of government, with the engagement of private organization under public and private arrangements, and involvement of communities at risk.

As South Africa adopts reforms to further strengthen its economy across multiple sectors, this country review presents the policy, legislative, and governance frameworks that are enabling South Africa’s digital transformation. It includes a review of key institutions and collaborative digital regulation practices, as well as common themes related to digital sector policies and frameworks.

We stand at the threshold of a digital revolution with profound implications for the future of our societies. Recognizing the nature of advances in transformative technologies, we need to commit to fostering an enabling regulatory environment where innovation thrives while minimizing risks and maximizing benefits.

The 2024 edition of ITU’s ICT Development Index (IDI) shows that progress has been made towards universal and meaningful connectivity – defined as the ability for everyone to go online under optimal conditions, at an affordable cost, anywhere and anytime they need – with low-income economies showing most improvement.

The accelerated speed of Azerbaijan’s digital transformation journey goes hand in hand with a growing demand for employees with specialized digital skills. This assessment will serve as a valuable resource to inform the data-driven and targeted interventions needed to enhance digital literacy. The publication can also serve as a model for a more regular assessment of the digital literacy level of the citizens of Azerbaijan.

This special edition of ITU’s flagship Facts and Figures series coincides with the third United Nations Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries. This landmark event presents a once-in-a-decade opportunity to craft innovative solutions that can unlock the full potential of these nations.

This report examines the overall statistics of electronic and electrical equipment (EEE) placed on the market (POM) and e-waste generation in Botswana. Botswana is currently making efforts to improve the regulatory framework regarding e-waste - an Integrated Waste Management Policy has been produced - as there is no specific regulatory instrument dealing with e-waste management, including data collection, in the country.

This report summarizes the outcomes obtained from the application of the international framework to measure e-waste statistics and from the use of e-waste tools as Namibia currently lacks the capacity to monitor e-waste quantities. Namibia faces two key challenges in terms of national e-waste recycling: large geographical distances to facilities and comparatively low current awareness among citizens.

The second in the series 'Benchmark for fifth generation collaborative digital regulation 2023: global and regional trends' is the analytical companion of the 2023 edition of the G5 Benchmark. The paper highlights the trends and findings on the evolution of digital regulation based on the latest dataset.

The Policy brief - The affordability of ICT services 2023 offers a concise overview of the cost of fixed and mobile broadband baskets worldwide. It finds that relative to income, the ICT services monitored by the ITU became more affordable in 2023 than ever before. As a result, in 2023, 114 economies had met the Broadband Commission affordability target set at 2 per cent of gross national income, up from 103 in 2022

The Global E-waste Monitor 2024 is the fourth edition of the Monitor. It is an indispensable reference tool for both policymakers and industry that shows the position of the world in terms of the global e-waste challenge.

This report compiles emissions data at a country level from publicly accessible sources within the thirty most emitting countries' telecommunications operators. Its goal ​is to unravel the emissions and energy usage patterns within the sector while exploring policy implications.​

The Facts and Figures: Focus on Small Island Developing States report shows that the growth of Internet use in SIDS since the third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS3) held in 2014 was higher than the global growth; between 2014 – 2023, the annual growth rate in SIDS was 8.4 per cent, surpassing the global growth rate of 6.7 per cent.

Disasters have not only affected lives but have also caused extensive damage to Haiti’s telecommunications infrastructure. Addressing the aftermath goes beyond immediate emergency telecommunication assistance.

This report presents the findings of an assessment of current and emerging skill supply and demand in the digital economy in Nigeria with the view to identifying gaps, opportunities and detecting specific needs that, if addressed, can generate new employment opportunities for young people.

This is the first interim (annual) deliverable for Question 6/1 of ITU-D Study Group for the study period 2022-2025. It focuses on regulatory mechanisms for the digital ecosystem that are fit-for-purpose.

The World Telecommunication Development Conference, held in Kigali in 2022, reviewed the mandate of Study Question 3/2, which focuses on sharing experiences on cybersecurity practices. This report reflects the contributions and discussions from the Question 3/2 meetings and a dedicated workshop on cybersecurity assurance practices.

The ASEAN Digital Master Plan 2025 (ADM 2025) stands as a visionary blueprint for the future of the ASEAN region. Recognizing the pivotal role of technology in shaping the socio-economic fabric of the region, ADM 2025 charts a course towards a more connected, innovative and inclusive ASEAN.

This case study aims to provide an overview of the national strategy for connected schools in Brazil launched by the Government of Brazil on 26 September 2023 by Presidential Decree 11.713/2023 and to highlight potential issues for consideration during its implementation.

This national report provides an overview of the extent to which gender is taken into account in Burundi's digital policies, strategies and regulations, divided into categories such as international development instruments, national digital policies and strategies, and laws and regulations related to the digital sector.

This country review is part of a series of case studies and country reviews developed in the framework of the ITU work stream on collaborative digital regulation with the financial support of the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).