ITU's 160 anniversary

Connecting the world and beyond

WTDC 2025

ITU Statistics Update - October 2025

​​​​​​​​​​Welcome to the first edition of the ITU Statistics Update! 

Issued every quarter, this briefing provides updates on global ICT measurement trends, methodological innovations, publications, highlights impact stories on data and upcoming events.  

Whether you are a policymaker, researcher, statistician or data enthusiast, we hope this will become a useful source for everything related to statistics on digital development. I am pleased to introduce this series to keep our community connected, informed and engaged as we work together to advance and measure universal and meaningful connectivity.

Dr Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava
Director, Telecommunication Development Bureau (BDT)
International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

​

WHAT’S NEW IN ICT STATISTICS

​








  • Data Week (22-26 September 2025): With more than 270 participants from 85 countries, the week featured the 20th World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Symposium, followed by the annual meetings of ITU’s Expert Groups on ICT Indicators (EGTI and EGH), and for the first time, a workshop for ICT statistics practitioners.
  • More accessible ICT data: The ITU DataHub continues to evolve as a central platform for accessing and visualizing global ICT statistics. Recent updates aim to improve navigation, highlight key indicators, and enhance access to data featured in ITU flagship publications. These improvements support users in exploring trends, comparing country performance, and leveraging data for policymaking and research.
  • Advocacy for supporting statistical systems: In 2025, South Africa’s G20 Presidency and the “Compromiso de Sevilla”, result of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development, highlighted the importance of Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC) and its measurement to support evidence-based digital inclusion policies, advocating in particular for financing digital inclusion surveys. These high-level commitments highlight the importance of ICT statistics in an increasingly digital world.
  • Updated methodology for age scope: The ITU ICT Data and Analytics Division is updating its methodology for Internet user estimates by adjusting the reference age group to individuals aged 5 and above, in line with EGH guidelines and the Manual for Measuring ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals​. This change enhances consistency with international statistical standards and improves data comparability across countries. Further details will be released with our upcoming Facts and Figures report (November 2025).

TOPIC SPOTLIGHT - Measuring ICT skills for the digital age

​
Understanding people’s ability to use digital technologies is essential to achieving universal and meaningful connectivity. Since 2013, ITU has collected ICT skills data through household surveys, and a recent review by its Expert Group on ICT Household Indicators has modernized this framework, producing 20 recommended indicators across five skill areas aligned with the European Commission’s DigComp 2.0 framework. The new approach also assesses overall skill levels, revealing wide differences across countries, with communication skills more common while content creation and safety skills lag, especially in low- and middle-income economies. These insights provide robust evidence for policies and strategies.

Explore the full methodology and findings in our 2024 Report of the EGH subgroup on measuring ICT skills using household surveys.​
 

UPCOMING EVENTS AND PUBLICATIONS

​

​

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

​
​

This report provides a comparative snapshot of digital development across 164 economies, based on the ICT Development Index. The 2025 edition highlights continued progress toward universal and meaningful connectivity, with affordability and mobile broadband usage gains.



​

​

This special edition of ITU’s Facts and Figures series provides an updated overview of digital connectivity trends, progress, and challenges in LLDCs. Released in the context of the preparatory process for the Third UN Conference on LLDCs, the report highlights the importance of universal and meaningful connectivity as a key enabler of development.




​
​

The report 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.


​


DID YOU KNOW?


Developing countries lag in terms of connectivity and also in digital skills of their populations, except on communication and collaboration skills such as making calls, sending messages or participating in social media.​


























Note: Includes countries with data for 2021 or more recent data. GDP per capita refers to thousand 2021 constant price PPP dollars.
Source: ITU, International Monetary Fund (IMF) for GDP per capita.


Join the conversation


Have questions or insights? We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts with the ICT Data and Analytics Division, BDT on social media using the hashtag #ICTStats, or get in touch via e-mail for suggestions and questions.

​Share the subscribe link | Unsubscribe​

​​As the UN specialized agency for ICTs, ITU is the official source for global ICT statistics. Find out more about how we produce and disseminate data, our main events and products. More>

A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) is available to help you find information about ITU data.



A list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) is available to help you find information about ITU data.

For additional information, contact us at: indicators@itu.int


Quick links

© ITU All Rights Reserved

Back to top