The State of Mobile Internet Connectivity 2025: Trends in Mobile Internet Connectivity (GSMA)

Summary

• 58% of the world's population, or 4.7 billion people, now use mobile internet on a personal device.p.6
• Around 300 million people, 4% of the world's population, are not covered by mobile broadband.p.6
• 3.1 billion people, or 38% of the global population, live within mobile broadband coverage but do not use it.p.6
• In Sub-Saharan Africa the coverage gap fell from 13% of the population in 2023 to 10% in 2024.p.10
• Southeast Asia saw the highest increase in mobile internet adoption, from 59% in 2023 to 65% in 2024.p.10
• In low- and middle-income countries mobile accounted for 84% of broadband connections in 2024.p.4
• Central Africa reduced its coverage gap from 34% in 2023 to 25% in 2024.p.10

Key insights

1. Approximately 200 million people began using mobile internet in 2024, a growth rate not seen since 2021.p.6
2. Almost 90% of the growth in 2024 came from LMICs, home to 93% of the unconnected.p.6
3. The coverage gap reduction in 2024 reflects coverage extended to an additional 40 million people.p.6
4. East Asia and Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean saw growth in mobile adoption of 3 percentage points and 2.5 percentage points respectively.p.10
5. The share of the population using mobile internet is highest in Western Africa (almost 30%) and lowest in Central Africa (16%).p.10
6. GSMA surveys covered 30 LMICs accounting for 79% of the population in LMICs, including 15 LMICs in 2024.p.8