Skip to Main Content
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing.

Nearly Half of the World's Population Is Now Online

There are 3.2 billion people online and nearly 7.1 billion cellular subscriptions.

December 1, 2015
12 Tips for Troubleshooting Your Internet Connection

The world is slowly but surely getting online, according to a new study from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

There are now 3.2 billion people online, representing 43.4 percent of the global population, ITU, the United Nation's information and communications agency announced on Monday. A whopping 95 percent of the world's population is now covered by a cellular connection and there are nearly 7.1 billion cellular connections worldwide, the agency reported.

The ITU evaluated 167 global economies for its latest report, which estimated that by the end of 2015, 46 percent of households around the world will have an Internet connection, up from 30 percent in 2010. In the developed world, 81.3 percent of households have home Internet, compared to 34.1 percent of homes in the emerging markets and 6.7 percent in the 48 UN-designated least developed countries.

"Fastest growth continues to be seen in mobile broadband, with the number of mobile-broadband subscriptions worldwide having grown more than four-fold in five years, from 0.8 billion in 2010 to an estimated 3.5 billion in 2015," the ITU said. "The number of fixed-broadband subscriptions has risen much more slowly, to an estimated 0.8 billion today."

In a country-by-country analysis, Korea was ranked tops by the ITU for having the best "composite measurement" of Internet access, use, and skills. It was followed by Denmark and Iceland; the U.S. ranks in the top 30, but well behind those countries.

Looking ahead, the ITU predicts that 56 percent of households worldwide will have Internet access by 2020, topping its goal of 55 percent. When it comes to the number of Internet users, however, the ITU believes 53 percent of the global population will be online in 2020, lower than its goal of 60 percent.

One other important point: 350 million people around the world still live in areas where there is no Internet connection available, an issue that several technology giants are tackling. Facebook is arguably one of the leaders in that trend with its Internet.org initiative, now known as Free Basics, which provides free or cheap access to Internet services in emerging markets. But it also intends to beam Internet service to large parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Google, meanwhile, has a low-cost version of its Android platform known as Android One, and is working on providing Internet access to underserved areas via Project Loon and satellites of its own.

Get Our Best Stories!

Sign up for What's New Now to get our top stories delivered to your inbox every morning.

This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.


Thanks for signing up!

Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!

Sign up for other newsletters

TRENDING

About Don Reisinger

Don Reisinger is a longtime freelance technology journalist and product reviewer. He covers everything from Apple to gaming to start-ups. You can follow him on Twitter @donreisinger.

Read Don's full bio

Read the latest from Don Reisinger