Connecting the world and beyond

ITU Statistics Update - December 2025

WHAT’S NEW IN ICT STATISTICS

Key connectivity figures for 2025: ITU’s latest estimates show that 6.0 billion people are online in 2025, while 2.2 billion remain offline. The global online population grew by more than 240 million people compared to last year, reflecting steady progress in expanding connectivity. Yet, major gaps persist: disparities in quality, affordability, and skills continue to shape how individuals benefit from digital technologies.
Update on ICT prices: ITU’s 2025 ICT service price statistics are now available, covering close to 200 economies. This new edition introduces revised ICT price baskets, with data collected for the first time using the updated methodology adopted by the Expert Group on Telecommunications/ICT Indicators in 2024. Explore affordability and price-level statistics for fixed broadband, data-only mobile broadband, and combined mobile broadband data-and-voice low- and high-consumption baskets on the ITU DataHub and further details on the ITU price statistics webpage.
2026 schedule for data questionnaires: The consolidated 2026 schedule for all BDT data questionnaires addressed to Member States is now available on ITU’s website.
New ITU Big Data website: ITU launched its new Big Data and Data Science website in December 2025. The website showcases ITU’s expanding work on mobile phone big data and small-area estimation, featuring presentations, manuals, practical tools, capacity development materials to harness non-traditional data for measuring digital development.
Recommendations of EGH and EGTI: The Expert Groups on ICT Household Indicators (EGH) and on Telecommunication/ICT Indicators (EGTI) held their 2025 meetings in September in Geneva, Switzerland. Experts reviewed methodological updates and defined areas for future work. EGH discussed measuring individuals’ use of artificial intelligence, shared national experiences on integrating ICT questions and improving data quality of household surveys. EGTI discussed the report of the subgroup on National Greenhouse Gas Emission Monitoring Indicators for the ICT Sector, the measurement of quality of service, satellite-based broadband connectivity, the use of subnational data, the measurement OTT services and ICT prices. A joint EGH and EGTI subgroup advanced discussions on the ICT Development Index (IDI), and to trigger a formal revision of the IDI methodology ahead of the next validity period starting in 2027.
Revision of WTDC Resolution 8: During ITU’s World Telecommunication Development Conference 2025 (WTDC), delegates agreed on a revised text for Resolution 8 on the collection and dissemination of ICT statistics.

TOPIC SPOTLIGHT - MEASURING HOUSEHOLD EXPENDITURE ON ICT SERVICES

Household expenditure data provide insights into the amounts families are prepared to pay for ICT services. In the richest countries, where GNI per capita (GNIpc, adjusted for differences in purchasing power) exceeds USD 55 000, ICT services typically account for 2-3 per cent of household expenditure while in economies with a GNIpc between USD 22 000 and USD 55 000, the share of expenditure ranges from 3 to 6 per cent; and in some economies with a GNIpc below USD 20 000, households may spend up to nearly 9 per cent.

Indicator HH16 from the core ICT indicators list captures annual household expenditure on ICT goods and services and is generally derived from household budget surveys (HBS), income and expenditure surveys, and only occasionally through specific surveys on ICT access and use with dedicated expenditure modules. Data collection involves asking households to report on categories defined by UNSD - COICOP classification such as:

ICT equipment (computers, tablets, mobile phones, accessories, etc.)
Communication services (fixed-line, mobile, Internet, bundled services, etc.)
Other ICT-related expenses (software, repairs, subscriptions, etc.)

Despite the insights provided by ICT expenditure data, availability remains limited, except in the European Union, whose members submit HBS data to Eurostat, disaggregated by types of goods and services. Indeed, HBS are costly operations and are usually programmed when updates of the basket for the Consumer Price Index or National Accounts are scheduled. Additionally, specific data collection challenges appear, such as respondent fatigue, and recall bias (households may have difficulties in accurately remembering their ICT spending, especially for small, irregular, or bundled purchases).

ITU provides guidance on the consumption items to be considered as ICT goods and services in the Manual for Measuring ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals, 2020 Edition.

UPCOMING Activities

UMC Data Hackathon: Last call for applications!
The “Bridging the Digital Divide by Uncovering Digital Deserts” hackathon aims to mobilize the creativity of young talent to identify connectivity gaps and populations left behind in the digital age. Registration is open until 31 December 2025, and teams from over 30 countries have already signed up.
ITU Subregional workshop for Africa on Promoting and Measuring Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC) (in English) – 24-26 March 2026, Tanzania
ITU Academy course: Understanding and using ICT data to inform policies for Universal and Meaningful Connectivity – 11-15 May 2026, São Paulo, Brazil
This face-to-face training focuses on enhancing skills for using ICT statistics to design, monitor and evaluate public policies for universal and meaningful connectivity. Participation is limited to 30 seats! Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your expertise and expand your network.
SAVE THE DATE: The next ICT Data Week (WTIS, EGTI and EGH meetings) is scheduled for the week 7-11 September 2026 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Recent publications

Global Connectivity Report 2025: The report charts global connectivity’s rise from a rarity in 1994 to a daily necessity today. It focuses on universal and meaningful connectivity (UMC) across quality, availability, affordability, devices, skills and security. While showcasing digital progress, it also highlights persistent divides and growing risks and provides evidence-based guidance to strengthen affordability, skills, regulation and infrastructure to accelerate progress toward UMC.

Facts and Figures 2025: This edition presents updated global, regional and income-group estimates for key connectivity indicators. The 2025 edition shows that nearly three-quarters of the world is now online, but progress is slowing and 2.2 billion people – mostly in low- and middle-income countries – still remain offline.

DID YOU KNOW?

There are affordability gaps not only between high- and low-income economies, but also within countries.

ITU price statistics combined with inequality data from the World Bank, published in the Global Connectivity Report 2025 (figure 4.6), reveal wide gaps between how much a mobile broadband basket amounts to those earning the average income, and those among the poorest 40 per cent of the population.

Note: Based on 107 countries with available recent inequality survey data (not older than 2019) and price data (2025).

Source: World Bank PIP, ITU.

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