ITU forecasts 3 billion Internet users worldwide, 45% from Asia Pacific

New figures released by ITU in May indicate that, by the end of this year, there will be almost 3 billion Internet users, two-thirds of them coming from the developing world. This corresponds to an Internet user penetration of 40% globally, 78% in developed countries and 32% in developing countries.  

One-third of the population in Asia and the Pacific will be online by end 2014 and around 45 per cent of the world’s Internet users will be from the Asia-Pacific region, the organisation said.

Mobile subscriptions will reach almost 7 billion by end 2014, and 3.6 billion of these will be in the Asia-Pacific region. The increase is mostly due to growth in the developing world where mobile-cellular subscriptions will account for 78% of the world’s total.

Data show that mobile-cellular growth rates have reached their lowest-ever level (2.6% globally), indicating that the market is approaching saturation levels.

Asia Pacific, where penetration will reach 89% by end 2014, is one of two regions with the strongest mobile-cellular growth and the lowest penetration rates, the other being Africa. Penetration rates in the Arab States have reached levels above 100% and are expected to grow at less than 2% in 2014. 

By end 2014, fixed-broadband penetration will have reached almost 10% globally. Forty-four per cent of all fixed-broadband subscriptions are in Asia and the Pacific. The Arab States, in contrast, has double-digit fixed-broadband penetration growth rates. 

Globally, mobile-broadband penetration will reach 32% by end 2014; in developed countries, mobile-broadband penetration will reach 84%, four times as high as in developing countries (21%). The number of mobile-broadband subscriptions will reach 2.3 billion globally and 55% of all mobile-broadband subscriptions are expected to be in the developing world. Mobile-broadband penetration levels are higher in the Arab States (25%) compared to Asia-Pacific (23%).
  
By end 2014, 44% of the world’s households will have Internet access. Close to one-third (31%) of households in developing countries will be connected to the Internet, compared with 78% in developed countries. The analysis shows that household Internet access is approaching saturation levels in developed countries.

ITU statistics are recognised as impartial global data on the state of the global ICT industry. View the latest ITU statistics here.