The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released its 2026 Facts and Figures report on Tuesday, noting that global internet users have risen to 6.3 billion in 2026.

According to the ITU, only 42% of Africa’s population uses the internet, compared with 76% worldwide, leaving 58% of Africans offline and making the continent the region with the lowest internet usage.

The report highlights a stark disparity between income levels, with 93% internet penetration in high‑income countries versus just 32% in low‑income nations.

Regional comparisons show Africa trailing Europe (93%), the Americas (87%), Asia‑Pacific (80%) and the Arab States (74%) in internet adoption.

Mobile network coverage also lags: only 15% of Africans can access 5G networks, while global 5G coverage reached 59% in 2025.

Although 97% of the world’s population is covered by 3G or better mobile networks, about 282 million people remain without any mobile broadband, with just over half of them residing in Africa.

Phone ownership does not automatically translate to internet use; 68% of Africans aged 10 and above own a mobile phone, yet only 42% are online, a gap of 26 percentage points.

Urban residents are 2.2 times more likely to be online than rural dwellers, though the urban‑rural gap has narrowed from a factor of 3.1 in 2023.