Measuring Digital Development - Facts and Figures 2022

As the world is welcoming its 8 billionth inhabitant, 5.3 billion people – or 66 per cent of the total global population – are online, while 2.7 billion are still offline. At the same time, three quarters of the population aged 10 years and over own a mobile phone. On average, in almost all regions the percentage of individuals owning a mobile phone is higher than the percentage of Internet users, but the gap has been shrinking. This is mirrored by the fact that mobile-broadband subscriptions continue to grow fast, approaching mobile-cellular subscriptions, which is plateauing. These are just some of the insights that can be found in the 2022 edition of _Facts and Figures_, ITU’s annual global assessment of digital connectivity. It features estimates for key connectivity indicators for the world, global regions, and several country groupings, including the UN-designated Least Developed Countries. The _Facts and Figures_ series sheds light on the multiple facets and evolving nature of the digital divide and takes stock of the progress towards closing it.