Half of population still out of internet: BBS

Nearly half of the country’s population remains outside internet coverage. According to the latest report of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics BBS, 51.1 percent of people in the country do not use the internet.

The findings emerged from the third quarter July–September results of the survey titled ICT use at individual and household levels 2024, published by the BBS. The survey was conducted on the basis of 61,632 households nationwide.

According to the data, as of September this year, the internet usage rate among people aged five and above stands at 48.9 percent. This means the remaining 51.1 percent of the population is still offline.

Household-level internet usage also remains unimpressive. The survey shows that during July–September, about 56 percent of households had at least one internet user. Overall, however, only 50.4 percent of households are under internet coverage, slightly lower than the end of the 2024–25 fiscal year figure of 55.1 percent.

Comparing Bangladesh with neighbouring countries, former BASIS president AKM Fahim Mashroor said the situation is worse than in nearby nations. More than 70 percent of people in India and over 60 percent in Pakistan use the internet, while Bangladesh’s rate is still below 50 percent.

He identified high internet costs as the main barrier, saying internet prices in Bangladesh are higher than in many countries due to excessive taxation. Of every Tk100 spent by consumers on mobile data, around Tk50 goes to the government in the form of VAT, supplementary duty, revenue sharing and spectrum fees.

He added that high prices prevent marginal and low-income people from using the internet. Without wider smartphone adoption and lower data prices, the situation is unlikely to improve.

Gender and urban–rural divide

The BBS survey shows that while mobile phone usage stands at 80.6 percent, only 56.5 percent of people own a mobile phone.

A clear gender gap exists in internet and technology use. While 51.2 percent of men use the internet, the rate among women is 46.3 percent. Mobile phone ownership among men is 63 percent, compared to 53 percent among women.

There is also a technological divide between urban and rural areas. The survey shows that 72.4 percent of households nationwide have smartphones. In urban areas, 81 percent of households have smartphones, while the figure in rural areas is 69 percent.

In addition, 99 percent of households have at least one mobile phone and electricity connection. While 59 percent of households own a television, only 9.1 percent have a computer.