ITU Data: Only 42% of Africans Are Online in 2026
By News

Only 42 per cent of Africa’s population uses the internet, compared with 76 per cent of people worldwide, according to the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Facts and Figures 2026, published on 3 November. For NGOs and development agencies that increasingly deliver services, training and information online, the findings are a reminder that digital programmes can miss many of the people they most need to reach.

What the report found

ITU estimates that 6.3 billion people are online in 2026, up from a revised 6.1 billion in 2025, leaving about 2 billion offline. The gap by income is wide: internet use stands at 93 per cent in high-income countries and 32 per cent in low-income countries.

Africa has the lowest regional rate of use. Kenya Today, reporting on the ITU data, listed comparable figures of 93 per cent for Europe, 87 per cent for the Americas, 80 per cent for Asia-Pacific and 74 per cent for the Arab States. ITU treats the Arab States as a separate region, so readers should check its regional definitions when comparing individual countries.

Other Africa findings in the report include:

  • Network access. Of the 282 million people worldwide reported to have no mobile broadband coverage, just over half live in Africa. In rural Africa, 21 per cent of people have no access to a 3G or better network.
  • 5G. Coverage reaches 15 per cent of Africa’s population, compared with 59 per cent globally.
  • Urban and rural gaps. Urban residents are 2.2 times as likely as rural residents to use the internet, an improvement from 3.1 in 2023.
  • Gender. Africa still records the largest gender gap of any region, though its parity score has risen from 0.72 in 2019 to 0.84.
  • Subscriptions and traffic. Africa has 57 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Average traffic is 7 GB per subscription a month, against a global average of 16.6 GB.

Reports on the data also highlight a 26-point gap between the 68 per cent of people aged 10 and over in Africa who own a mobile phone and the 42 per cent who use the internet. This suggests that having network coverage or a handset does not by itself bring people online.

What it means for the sector and communities

Cost remains a major barrier. ITU reports that the median price of a data-only mobile broadband basket fell to 1.2 per cent of gross national income per capita globally, but stands at 6.1 per cent in least developed countries, against a widely used affordability target of 2 per cent. There was some progress, with landlocked developing countries and small island developing states meeting the mobile target for the first time.

ITU Secretary-General Doreen Bogdan-Martin said that “in the age of AI, being offline means being shut out of countless opportunities, from education to employment”. Cosmas Luckyson Zavazava, who directs ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau, said that without digital skills and meaningful connectivity, the benefits of new technologies risk remaining out of reach for many.

For development practitioners, the data raises practical design questions. A mobile app, online form or remote training course may exclude rural residents and women at higher rates than other groups, and low average data use suggests that heavy content may be impractical even for people who are connected. Programmes that combine digital channels with radio, SMS, community workers and in-person services are one way of reducing that risk, and collecting data on who is not being reached can show whether a programme’s approach is working.

What this means for NGO job seekers

The ITU report does not address NGO employment directly, but its findings point to skills that can help candidates working on digital inclusion, or on any programme with a digital component:

  • Inclusive digital design. Experience of designing low-bandwidth, offline-capable or SMS-based services is useful where connections are limited or costly.
  • Digital literacy training. Trainers who can work with women, rural residents and older people can help address gaps that coverage alone does not close.
  • Monitoring and data skills. Knowing how to disaggregate results by gender, age and location helps organisations see who is being left out.
  • Data protection. Anyone handling beneficiary data should understand consent, security and relevant national rules.
  • Hybrid delivery experience. Show employers how you have blended digital tools with face-to-face outreach, not just that you have used a particular platform.

Job seekers may also feel these gaps themselves. If your connection is limited, save copies of your CV and cover letter for use on a phone, and check closing dates early. Browse current vacancies, search NGO jobs by country or look at markets such as NGO jobs in Kenya and NGO jobs in Nigeria. Our career resources include further guidance for applicants.

Sources