by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AN estimated 5,5 billion people are online in 2024, an increase of 227 million individuals based on revised estimates for 2023.
This is according to new figures from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The estimates featured in ITU’s Facts and Figures 2024 show that connectivity continues to increase worldwide but reveal the complexities of reaching communities in low-income countries.
While an estimated 68 percent of the global population is now online and all indicators tracked in the report show improvement, digital divides persist and about one-third of the world’s people remain offline.
“Facts and Figures 2024 is a tale of two digital realities between high-income and low-income countries,” said ITU Secretary-General, Doreen Bogdan-Martin.
Stark gaps in critical connectivity indicators are cutting off the most vulnerable people from online access to information, education and employment opportunities.
“This report is a reminder that true progress in our interconnected world isn’t just about how fast we move forward, but about making sure everyone moves forward together,” Bogdan-Martin added.
Facts and Figures 2024 shows that internet use remains tightly linked to the level of development.
In high-income countries, 93 percent of the population is estimated to be using the Internet in 2024. This contrasts with low-income countries where only 27 percent of the population is estimated to be online.
In total, an estimated 2,6 billion people are offline in 2024, accounting for 32 percent of the world’s population.
This is down from the newly revised estimate of 2,8 billion for 2023.
“The world is inching towards universal access at a time that it should be sprinting,” said Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau.
– CAJ News