The Internet is for everyone (or maybe not). Globally, gaps are still large

Brussels -According to the figures published by ITU (International Telecommunication Union), in 2024, there will be 227 million more people online than in the previous year, with a total of more than 5.5 billion. Digital connectivity is travelling almost at the speed of light, but not for everyone since one-third of the world’s population is still offline.

“Large gaps in critical connectivity indicators are cutting off the most vulnerable people from online access to information, education and employment opportunities,” comments ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin. The level of progress is also measured by global expansion, by the “ability to move everyone forward together,” in Bodgan-Martin’s words.

In terms of percentages, over 68 per cent of the world’s population is now connected to the digital world, but with strong, persistent gaps for communities in low-income countries. When compared to high-income countries, the gap is even more pronounced. Whereas in Europe, as well as in Commonwealth countries and the Americas, between 87 and 92 per cent of people use the Internet, in Africa only 38 per cent of the total have access.

In high-income countries, ITU estimates that only 7 per cent of the population will remain offline from internet access, against 78 per cent excluded for low-income countries. Globally, 2.6 billion people are expected to be offline in 2024, with figures down from 2023.

The differences are also important for rural and urban areas, where the gap has remained static for the past four years. Of the total number of people offline, 1.8 billion live in rural areas, and compared to the total of 2.6 billion, this is a substantial figure. Comparing the percentages, nearly twice as many urban dwellers will be able to use the Internet, compared with less than 50 per cent for rural areas.

In areas with high Internet penetration, values are well below average, as in Europe, but not surprisingly it is much more differential in less developed areas, such as Africa. There has been no improvement in the Asia-Pacific region in recent years, probably because the substantial exodus from the countryside has decreased the number of people using the Internet in rural areas, causing a growing difference.

The gender gap also has its own specific weight in digital. Slowly moving toward gender equality, the gap between women and men is 5 per cent, and it is estimated that 189 million more men will be online. That’s quite an achievement compared to 2021 when the differential was 277 million users.

The global landscape is, as always, multifaceted. Europe has achieved gender parity, as has America, where women actually use the Internet more than men. In Arab countries, it is not surprising that the gap is wider (with slight progress), as in Africa, where internet use is lower. Because gender equality is closely related to the level of development, it is obvious that the data should be connected to the economic conditions of individual regions, keeping in mind that these are overall data, so the situation could be different in each state.

The generation gap is getting thinner and thinner, with young people leading the way. Worldwide, an estimated 79 per cent of people between the ages of 15 and 24 use the Internet, 13 percentage points more than the rest of the population. Universality has been achieved in Europe, Commonwealth countries and the Americas. In terms of improvement, low-income countries since 2021 have also optimized their gap.

The challenge at this point remains economic. “While we continue to progress on connectivity, our progress masks significant gaps in the world’s most vulnerable communities,” Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, director of the Office of Telecommunications Development at the ITU.

Efforts, globally, must achieve “universal and meaningful connectivity,” the director reiterates. Universal Internet access will require efforts to lower costs, considering that a fixed broadband subscription in low-income countries is equivalent to nearly a third of the average monthly income.