While nearly three-quarters of the world’s population is now online, Africa continues to face significant challenges in bridging the connectivity gap.

According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Facts and Figures 2025, there has been both remarkable progress and persistent disparities in global digital development.

The ITU report highlighted that 74 per cent of the global population, approximately six billion people, are connected to the Internet in 2025, up from 71 per cent in 2024. High-income countries are nearing universal access, with 94 per cent of their populations online. Regions such as Europe, the Americas, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) report between 88 per cent and 93 per cent penetration, while Asia-Pacific and the Arab States stand at 77 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.

Despite these gains, more than 2.2 billion people remain offline, most of them in low- and middle-income countries. The report warned that without targeted interventions, progress toward universal connectivity will stall.

Africa’s digital reality is starkly different. Only 36 per cent of the continent’s population is online as of 2025, the lowest rate among ITU regions. In least developed countries (LDCs) and landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), Internet penetration is just 34 per cent and 38 per cent respectively.

While yearly growth rates in these economies, 7.4 per cent in LDCs and 5.5 per cent in LLDCs, are higher than in many other regions, the gap remains wide. The ITU noted that “universal connectivity remains a distant prospect” for Africa, where infrastructure, affordability, and digital skills continue to pose barriers.

Globally, men are more connected than women, with 77 per cent of men online compared to 71 per cent of women. Africa showed the widest gender gap: only 31 per cent of women use the Internet compared to 40 per cent of men. Although Africa’s gender parity score has improved from 0.70 in 2019 to 0.78 in 2025, the continent still lags behind regions such as Europe, the Americas, and CIS, where gender parity has been achieved.

Young people aged 15–24 remain the most connected demographic worldwide, with 82 per cent online compared to 72 per cent of the rest of the population. In Africa, youth adoption is higher than older generations, but overall penetration remains low. In low-income countries, young people are nearly twice as likely to be online as older adults, underscoring both opportunity and inequality.

The ITU report underscores the persistent urban-rural divide. Globally, 85 per cent of urban dwellers are online compared to 58 per cent of rural residents. Africa’s divide is the widest: 55 per cent of urban residents use the Internet, but only 21 per cent of rural dwellers do. This ratio of 2.6 is the highest globally, reflecting infrastructural and affordability barriers in sparsely populated regions.

Mobile broadband coverage now reaches 96 per cent of the world’s population, with 5G covering 55 per cent. Yet Africa remains on the margins: only 12 per cent of its population has 5G access, compared to 74 per cent in Europe and 70 per cent in Asia-Pacific. Instead, Africa relies heavily on 3G and 4G, with 14 per cent of its population still dependent solely on 3G.

In rural Africa, 4G covers just 57 per cent of residents, leaving vast areas underserved. The ITU warns that without accelerated investment, Africa risks being left behind in the global shift toward advanced mobile technologies.

Although Internet access is becoming cheaper globally, affordability remains a major obstacle in low- and middle-income countries. In about 60 per cent of these economies, services are still unaffordable. For Africa, where income levels are lower and infrastructure costs higher, affordability is a critical bottleneck preventing millions from coming online. (The Guardian)

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