Global connectivity is expanding, but access is still uneven, especially outside major cities. Around the world, billions rely on mobile devices, wireless networks, and fixed connections to get online, while many others remain offline due to cost, infrastructure, or geography.
For households and businesses in remote areas, the numbers reinforce a familiar reality: dependable rural internet service is still harder to access than in urban centers.
At HomeFi, we’ve gathered 20 essential internet access statistics for 2026 that highlight the global internet penetration rate, the number of internet users worldwide, and how many people still remain offline.
Global Internet Access Statistics (2026)
1. The global internet penetration rate is 73.6%
This represents the current percentage of the world population with internet access based on the most recent global data. As of 2025, global internet penetration reached nearly three quarters of the people on Earth. This leaves approximately 26.4% of the population without internet access.
Source: ITU.
2. There are over 6 billion internet users worldwide in 2026, based on the latest available estimates
Data from 2025 showed there were 6.04 billion global internet users, compared to a global population near 8.25 billion. The number of users jumped 9.8% from roughly 5.5 billion the year before. This indicates aggressive expansion of internet access will continue, driven by mobile technology and infrastructure improvements in developing regions.
Among those connected, Chrome dominates browser usage with a 65.2% share (2024), followed by Safari at about 19%.
Sources: Statista, DataReportal.
3. About 2.2 billion people worldwide still don’t have internet access in 2026 (latest data)
As of October 2025, more than 1 in 4 people on Earth (2.21 billion people) still do not use the internet. While global connectivity continues to expand, access remains highly uneven across regions and income levels.
The majority of the world’s offline population lives in developing regions, particularly Southern Asia and parts of Africa, where infrastructure gaps, affordability barriers, and digital literacy challenges continue to limit adoption.
Even among those counted as internet users, connectivity quality varies widely. Many people still rely on shared devices, intermittent access, or speeds that restrict meaningful online participation. This contributes to a significant number of people without internet access globally in 2026.
Despite steady progress in recent years, this large offline population highlights the scale of the remaining digital divide and the ongoing challenge of achieving universal connectivity.
Source: DataReportal.
Internet Access Statistics - The Digital Divide (2026)
4. Global data shows 85% of urban residents have internet access vs. 58% in rural areas
Urban residents worldwide are far more likely to have internet access than rural populations, underscoring a persistent connectivity gap. This equals a global average access ratio of roughly 1.5x in favor of urban populations, slightly down from 1.6x the previous year.
Regional disparities remain stark. Africa shows the widest divide, with 55% of urban residents online versus only 21% in rural areas, while Europe has the smallest gap, with 94% urban access compared to 87% rural.
Overall, people living in cities were about 1.45x more likely to use the internet than rural residents in 2025. The digital divide is widest in low-income countries (about 2.85x) and narrowest in high-income countries (around 1.08x).
Although the gap has gradually narrowed since 2022 across income groups, progress is slow, and rural connectivity continues to lag, especially where infrastructure and affordability barriers remain strongest.
Source: ITU.
5. In low-income countries, only 14% of people in rural areas have access to the internet
Income level strongly predicts connectivity. In high-income countries, internet access is nearly universal, with 96% of urban and 90% of rural residents online. In low-income countries, however, only 39% of urban populations and just 14% of rural populations use the internet.
This shows that affordability and infrastructure, not just geography, remain major barriers to global connectivity.
Source: ITU.
6. Women’s global internet use trails men’s by about 5%, leaving roughly 240 million fewer women online
At a global level, internet adoption among women remains noticeably lower than among men. Recent data shows that about 75.7% of men worldwide use the internet, compared with 70.7% of women, creating a gap of roughly 5 percentage points.
This difference translates to nearly 240 million fewer women than men online globally, despite the fact that overall population numbers between genders are nearly equal.
The disparity is widest in parts of Southern Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, where social, economic, and educational barriers continue to affect women’s access to the internet.
Source: DataReportal.
Internet Access Statistics - Regional Gaps
7. Northern Europe has the highest internet penetration rate globally, at 97.7%
The region dominates in internet connectivity, offering access to all but 2.3% of its residents, based on the most recent available data (October 2025).
Northern Europe is followed closely by Western Europe and Northern America. Here are the top 10 regions for internet access rates worldwide:
-
Northern Europe: 97.7%
-
Western Europe: 95.1%
-
North America: 93.3%
-
Eastern Europe: 92.7%
-
Southern Europe: 91.6%
-
Eastern Asia: 90.1%
-
Southern America: 83.8%
-
South-Eastern Asia: 82.9%
-
Central Asia: 82%
-
Central America: 80%
Source: Statista.
8. In Eastern Africa, only 26% of the population has access to the internet
About 74% of people living in Eastern Africa have no access to the internet, leaving nearly three quarters of the population offline.
Eastern Africa trails the next lowest region by 7.5 percentage points, with Middle Africa at 33.5%. The following nine regions have an internet penetration rate lower than 80%, ranked from lowest:
-
Eastern Africa: 26%
-
Middle Africa: 33.5%
-
Western Africa: 42.9%
-
Southern Asia: 64.3%
-
Caribbean: 71%
-
Northern Africa: 73.5%
-
Western Asia: 76.1%
-
Oceania: 77.5%
-
Southern Africa: 77.6%
Source: Statista.
9. Eastern Asia leads global internet access with over 1.34 billion users, while about 747 million people in Southern Asia remain offline
While Eastern Asia has the world’s largest online population, the number of internet users worldwide varies significantly by region. Based on the most recent data from Statista, Eastern Asia ranks first globally with more than 1.34 billion users.
Below is the number of internet users worldwide that year by subregion (in millions):
Eastern Asia ranks first globally, followed by Southern Asia with roughly 1.2 billion users and the Americas with about 863.7 million.
Worldwide, internet access continues to expand as cheaper smartphones and stronger infrastructure bring more people online, particularly in mobile-first regions. Growth is fastest in parts of Africa. For example, Western Sahara recorded annual user growth of 364%.
Still, the global internet adoption rate varies widely by region. Southern Africa leads the continent with about 68% penetration, while Middle Africa remains among the lowest globally at around 25%, highlighting both persistent access gaps and significant growth potential.
Source: Statista.
10. Southern Asia has the largest offline population, with about 747 million people still without internet access
The regional divide in internet access becomes even clearer when looking at the global offline population. As of October 2025, Southern Asia has the largest number of people without internet access, at roughly 747 million.
Below is the number of people not using the internet in October 2025, by subregion (in millions):
Southern Asia is followed by Eastern Africa (382.5 million) and Western Africa (267.9 million).
Eastern Asia (164.2 million) and Middle Africa (147 million) round out the top five regions with the highest number of people still offline.
By contrast, offline populations are much smaller in highly connected regions, including:
-
Northern Europe: 2.6 million
-
Western Europe: 9.8 million
-
Oceania: 10.5 million
-
Southern Europe: 12.6 million
-
Caribbean: 10.5 million
-
Central Asia: 15.1 million
These differences highlight how global internet access remains uneven, with the largest gaps concentrated in developing regions.
Source: Statista.
Internet Access Statistics - Country-Level Scale & Extremes
11. About 1.3 billion people in China have internet access, the world’s largest online population
With a total population of about 1.42 billion as of October 2025, the country has an internet penetration rate of 91.6%.
Social media use is widespread, with about 1.28 billion accounts, equal to 90.3% of the population. China also has 1.83 billion mobile cellular accounts (129% of the population), though these include connections that may not provide internet access.
This high level of connectivity is notable given that about one third of China’s population lives in rural areas, where access is often harder to achieve.
India ranks second globally with around 1.03 billion internet users and a penetration rate of about 70%, up sharply from 55.3% the previous year. The United States follows with 324 million people online, representing a 93.1% penetration rate.
Sources: Statista, DataReportal.
12. India has the highest number of people without internet access in 2026 (latest data)
As of October 2025, about 440.12 million people in India were still without internet access. While this is the highest total worldwide, India also has the second highest online population, reflecting the country’s massive population of over 1.4 billion people.
Pakistan ranks distant second, with around 139.39 million people offline out of a population exceeding 255 million.
Here are 10 countries with the largest offline populations, in millions:
13. Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and UAE lead global internet access with near 100% of their population reported to be online
These Arab states rank first among countries with the highest internet access rate, based on most recent data:
-
Bahrain: 100% with 1,566,888 users
-
Saudi Arabia: 100% with 36,544,431 users
-
United Arab Emirates (UAE): 100% with 10,032,213 users
-
Denmark: 99.8% with 5,961,190 users
-
Iceland: 99.8% with 363,308 users
-
Kuwait: 99.7% with 3,128,940 users
-
Qatar: 99.7% with 2,544,432 users
-
Monaco: 99.1% with 31,527 users
-
Brunei: 99% with 486,981 users
-
Falkland Islands: 99% with 3,724 users
-
Norway: 99% with 5,454,636 users
-
Luxembourg: 98.8% with 663,199 users
-
Bermuda: 98.4% with 71,635 users
-
Malaysia: 98% with 33,873,514 users
-
South Korea: 97.9% with 50,988,081 users
-
Faroe Islands: 97.6% with 51,663 users
-
Liechtenstein: 97.3% with 39,185 users
-
Switzerland: 97.3% with 8,621,339 users
-
Aruba: 97.2% with 121,561 users
-
Australia: 97.1% with 25,922,309 users
Rate of internet access in other notable countries:
-
United Kingdom: 96.3% with 65,926,070 users
-
Russia: 94.4% with 132,934,845 users
-
Germany: 93.5% with 78,651,359 users
-
United States: 93.1% with 318,367,933 users
-
China: 92% with 1,302,759,808 users
-
Israel: 88.2% with 8,293,108 users
-
Japan: 87% with 107,185,692 users
-
Brazil: 84.5% with 185,943,528 users
-
Indonesia: 72.8% with 204,977,475 users
-
India: 70% with 986,389,807 users
-
Nigeria: 39.2% with 92,804,875 users
Source: ITU.
14. Under 1% of North Koreans are online, and some African and South Pacific nations have internet access rates below 10%
While an “intranet” exists in North Korea, fewer than 100,000 of its 26.6 million residents have access to international websites, as of 2025.
Meanwhile, less than 10% of residents in the Polynesian islands Tokelau and Wallis and Futuna are online, as well as in Central African Republic, Uganda, and South Sudan. These nations top the list of 20 countries with the least internet connectivity:
-
North Korea: Less than 1% with fewer than 100,000 users
-
Tokelau: 1.5% with 37 users
-
Central African Republic: 7.5% with 424,387 users
-
Uganda: 9% with 4,410,832 users
-
Wallis and Futuna: 9% with 1,429 users
-
South Sudan: 9.3% with 1,177,634 users
-
Burundi: 11.1% with 1,508,501 users
-
Chad: 13.2% with 2,520,355 users
-
Yemen: 13.8% with 4,435,381 users
-
Zambia: 15% with 3,199,867 users
-
Ethiopia: 16.7% with 19,797,900 users
-
Burkina Faso: 17% with 3,917,174 users
-
Afghanistan: 17.7% with 7,101,514 users
-
Malawi: 18% with 3,917,396 users
-
Mozambique: 19.8% with 6,603,489 users
-
Eritrea: 20% with 1,268,791 users
-
Madagascar: 20.4% with 6,008,354 users
-
Sierra Leone: 20.6% with 1,878,936 users
-
Turkmenistan: 21.3% with 1,223,504 users
-
Niger: 23.2% with 6,111,526 users
Source: ITU.
Internet Access in the United States (2026)
While global trends highlight broad progress, access patterns look very different at the national level, especially when comparing rural and urban areas.
15. About 93% of U.S. households have internet access in 2026
Approximately 93.1% of the U.S. population used the internet as of late 2025, based on the latest data, totaling more than 324 million users in 2026.
While adoption is widespread, gaps remain in rural and underserved areas where connection quality and infrastructure can be limited.
The U.S. also had about 417 million cellular connections, equal to 120% of the population. This highlights the growing reliance on mobile connectivity.
Source: DataReportal.
16. About 78% of Americans have broadband internet at home, while 91% own a smartphone
Around 78% of U.S. adults report having a broadband internet subscription at home as of 2025, down slightly from a peak of 80% in 2023. Broadband includes high-speed connections such as cable, fiber, satellite, and fixed wireless.
Smartphone ownership is even more widespread, with 91% of Americans owning a smartphone, up from 90% in 2023.
For comparison, a decade ago in 2015, about 66% of U.S. households had a broadband subscription while 67% owned a smartphone, highlighting how mobile access has grown alongside slower gains in fixed internet infrastructure.
However, access to broadband is not evenly distributed. Americans in rural areas are the least likely to have a home broadband connection, with only 71% subscribed compared to 84% of suburban and 75% of urban Americans.
While most Americans have access to both, these gaps show that reliable home internet, especially in rural areas, still lags behind near-universal mobile phone adoption.
Source: Pew Research Center.
17. The percentage of Americans who are ‘smartphone dependent’ has doubled since 2013
About 16% of U.S. adults are considered “smartphone dependent,” meaning they rely on mobile devices for internet access rather than subscribing to home broadband. This share has doubled from 8% in 2013.
Smartphone dependence is strongly tied to income. Roughly 34% of adults earning under $30,000 annually rely on smartphones for internet access, compared with just 4% of those earning $100,000 or more.
These gaps also appear across age and demographics. Adults ages 18-29 are more than twice as likely as those ages 30-49 to be smartphone dependent (27% vs. 11%).
Hispanic Americans are the most likely to rely on smartphones for internet access (28%), followed by Black Americans (19%), compared with 13% of White Americans and 11% of Asian Americans. Notably, smartphone dependence among Hispanic adults has increased sharply in recent years, rising from 20% in 2023 to 28% in 2025.
Together, these trends highlight how lower-income, younger, and minority populations are more likely to depend on mobile internet instead of fixed broadband connections.
Source: Pew Research Center.
How People Access the Internet
18. Global internet download speeds are nearing 100 Mbps across both mobile and broadband
According to the most recent data from 2025, median global download speeds reached 90.64 Mbps on mobile and 98.31 Mbps on fixed broadband, showing that mobile networks are now nearly as fast as traditional home internet worldwide.
However, fixed broadband still holds an advantage in upload speeds (53.53 Mbps versus 13.48 Mbps), making it better suited for data-intensive activities like gaming, video calls, and large file transfers.
Source: Statista.
19. Mobile devices drive global internet access with almost 62% of web traffic
Mobile devices, excluding tablets, generated 62.54% of worldwide website traffic in Q2 2025, compared to lower usage on devices like laptops and desktops. This underscores their central role in how people access the internet. Mobile’s share has steadily risen from around 50% in 2017 to a clear majority since 2020.
Mobile access is especially important in many developing markets, where limited infrastructure and lower device costs have made smartphones the most common way to get online.
Countries such as India, Nigeria, Ghana, and Kenya have large mobile-first user bases, and in many African markets mobile accounts for more than half of web traffic. By comparison, mobile represents about 45% of traffic in the United States, illustrating how access patterns still vary by region.
Source: Statista.
20. Youth internet access has reached 98% in Europe but only 53% in Africa
Below is the age distribution of worldwide internet users as of 2024, by region:
Internet access statistics indicate major regional gaps in access among people aged 15-24. Europe leads globally, with 98% of youth online, followed by the Commonwealth of Independent States at 97% and the Americas at 95%.
At the other end of the scale, only 53% of young people in Africa have internet access, along with only 34% of those aged 25 and older. Globally, 79% of people aged 15-24 are online, highlighting both strong youth connectivity overall and persistent regional access disparities.
Source: Statista.
What These Internet Access Statistics Reveal
-
Even as global internet users pass 6 billion, more than a quarter of the world’s population remains offline, highlighting how affordability and infrastructure still limit access.
-
The digital divide is no longer just international; it increasingly reflects gaps between urban areas and rural communities, including across the USA.
-
Rural connectivity remains one of the biggest barriers to equal opportunity, affecting education, remote work, healthcare access, and business growth.
-
Differences in internet usage across age and gender show that access alone doesn’t guarantee equal participation online.
-
Countries approaching universal connectivity demonstrate what’s possible when infrastructure investment, competition, and technology expansion align.
-
Closing connectivity gaps, especially in rural regions, will define the next phase of global internet growth.
How HomeFi Can Help
Connectivity gaps aren’t just a global issue; many households across the U.S. still struggle to get reliable high-speed internet outside major cities. HomeFi is built to solve that problem with fast, affordable wireless internet designed for real-world coverage, not just urban networks.
Whether you need dependable home internet, a reliable connection for your office, or portable Wi-Fi you can take anywhere, HomeFi gives you the flexibility to stay online without relying on cable or fiber. It’s a practical solution for streaming, gaming, working, and everyday browsing, especially in rural and underserved areas.
If you’re looking for fast, reliable internet service that works where cable and fiber don’t reach, explore HomeFi’s plans and find a solution built for rural connectivity.
Internet Access Statistics: FAQs
Is internet use declining?
No, internet use is not declining. Global internet users surpassed 6 billion in 2025, growing by nearly 10% year over year. Adoption continues to increase, especially in developing regions where mobile access is expanding rapidly.
What percentage of the world currently has no internet access?
About 26.4% of the global population, roughly 2.2 billion people, still do not have internet access as of 2025. Most of this offline population lives in developing regions, particularly in Southern Asia and Africa, including many of the world’s least developed countries
What country has the most access to the internet?
Several countries report near 100% internet access, including Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. These nations lead globally in connectivity due to strong infrastructure and widespread digital adoption.