The number
ITU estimates 6.0 billion people, about 74% of the world’s population, were online in 2025.
Period: 2025
Geography / population: Global
Why it matters
Digital markets are enormous, but universal access has not been achieved.
How to use this metric
This number is a baseline, not a prophecy. It should anchor qualitative foresight in measurable reality and be updated when the underlying source publishes a newer comparable figure.
Interpretation caution
Do not compare this value with another statistic unless definitions, geography, population and measurement period are compatible. Forecasts should be labeled as forecasts; observed values should remain distinct from projections.
Connected foresight questions
- Is the rate of change accelerating, slowing or shifting geographically?
- What infrastructure constraint becomes visible at this scale?
- Which industries experience the consequence first?
- What would materially change the trajectory?
- When should this baseline be refreshed?