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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - Statistics

ITU statistics: Collection, availability, dissemination and definitions

What are the sources of ITU statistics?

The main source of ITU data are national Government entities, mainly the telecommunication regulatory agencies, ICT ministries, and national statistics offices. ITU collects telecommunication/ICT data for about 200 economies worldwide using the questionnaires that can be found here. These can be divided into three key sets of data:

Telecommunication/ICT infrastructure and access data are collected annually through two (one short and one long) questionnaires. The telecommunication regulatory authorities and ICT ministries are the main source of data for these indicators.
ICT price data are collected through an annual questionnaire. The telecommunication regulatory agency or ICT ministry is the main source of data for these indicators. Data are also researched by ITU from operators’ and service providers’ websites.
Data on access to and use of ICTs by households and individuals are collected annually through two (one short and one long) questionnaires. The national statistical offices are the main source of data for these indicators.

Number of indicatorsITU question- Telecommunication/ICT infrastructure and access data are collected annually through two (one short and one long) questionnaires. The telecommunication regulatory authorities and ICT ministries are the main source of data for these indicators.

Where can I find definitions of the statistical indicators collected by ITU?: The ITU Handbook for the Collection of Administrative Data on Telecommunications/ICT

The Handbook for the Collection of Administrative Data on Telecommunications/ICT is a key reference document for the collection of internationally comparable indicators on telecommunications/ICT based on administrative sources (i.e. supply-side data mainly from operators). The Handbook includes definitions and methodological clarifications for 81 internationally agreed indicators and its corresponding sub-indicators.

More information at: http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/publications/handbook.aspx

The ITU Manual for Measuring ICT Access and Use by Households and Individuals

This Manual has been prepared to support countries in the production of high quality and internationally comparable data on ICT access and use by households and individuals, which is key to monitoring the progress towards becoming information societies. The Manual focuses on the Partnership on Measuring ICT for Development's core list of indicators on access to, and use of, ICT by households and individuals. It can be used as basic reference material when preparing, designing and implementing ICT household surveys and also serves as the basis for ITU's training course on ICT household statistics.

More information at: http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/publications/manua.aspx

Where can I find ITU statistics?: Visit ITU DataHub - The world’s richest source of ICT statistics and regulatory information.

Digital development dashboard gives an overview of the state of digital development around the world based on ITU data.

ICT Price Baskets (IPB) visualization tool presents a unique data set about the affordability of ICT services around the world.

ITU disseminates more than 180 indicators on telecommunication infrastructure, ICT services prices, revenue and investment, and access to and use of ICTs by households and individuals for more than 200 economies from 1965 onwards. The list of statistics available at ITU is here (pdf format).

Time series by country for key indicators are available free of charge here.

Full access to ITU statistics is available in the World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database.

Which ITU statistics are free of charge?

When are ITU statistics released/disseminated?

Does ITU make estimations and forecasts?: ITU makes year-end global and regional estimates for key telecommunication/ICT indicators in June. These estimates are published in November in Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures. ITU does not usually produce longer-term estimates or forecasts.

World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database (WTID)

What is the availability of statistics included in the WTID?: The WTID includes statistics for more than 200 economies for more than 180 indicators(see list of indicators). Since ITU relies primarily on official data provided by countries, the availability of data for the different countries, indicators and years varies. Notes explaining data exceptions are also included in the database.

More information available here.

When is the database updated?: The database is updated every six months, in January and July.

More information avilable here.

I have problems installing the database. How should I proceed?: To install the database, the programme needs to be downloaded, unzipped and installed first on your local computer.

First, uninstall the database previously installed and delete files you copied on your PC.
Important: Empty your recycle bin.

Then, to reinstall the database, please follow these steps:

   1. Download the file (ex: WTI2022.zip ) in a newly directory on the hard disk of your PC

   2. Unzip the downloaded file in the newly created directory. Do this by clicking "Actions", then "Select All", then "EXTRACT" in WinZip. Save in newly created directory making sure the "Use Folder names" is selected before clicking "Extract". (Important: opening file(s) directly from WINZIP may result in errors so it is very important to unzip the file).

   3. Go to the location/directory where you unzipped the file.

   4. To install the application on Windows:
     1. Start the installation by double-clicking on the downloaded “ITU WTID 2022.exe” file.
     2. Follow the steps of the installation wizard:
           a. Accept the license agreement.
           b. Extract the files to the selected destination folder.
          We highly recommend to use the default destination folder “C:\Program Files (x86)\ITU WTID”.
     3. Run the application by going to “Start”, “All programs”, “ITU WTID” and selecting “ITU WTID 2022”.

To install the application on OS X:
   1. Start the installation by double-clicking on the downloaded “ITU WTID 2022.dmg” file.
    2. Drag the “ITU WTID” icon to the “Application” folder icon to start the installation.
    3. Run the application by going to “Finder”, “Applications” and selecting “ITU WTID 2022”.

5. Please note:
You will need to accept the license agreement the first time you run the application.
A user guide is available in the “Help” section of the app.

What is the IPB?: The ICT Price Basket (IPB) was first published by ITU in 2009 as a composite tool that combines fixed-telephone, mobile-cellular and fixed-broadband tariffs into one measure and compares it across countries. The IPB rankings are then based on the relative price of these three services as a percentage of gross national income per capita (GNI p.c.).

The ICT Price Basket (IPB) is a benchmarking tool that enables countries to assess their relative affordability of ICT prices, evaluate progress over time and identify challenges and shortcomings.

The ICT Price Basket (IPB) data are published in the Measuring Digital Development series available here.

ICT Development Index (IDI)

Where can I find information about the ICT Development Index (IDI)?: All information on the ICT Development Index (IDI) is posted here.

Statistics reproduction and copyright

I would like to re-publish ITU statistics. What do I need to do?: If you would like to re-publish ITU statistics, please send your request to indicators@itu.int and we will forward it to the ITU legal department for evaluation.


		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>