Internet traffic is expanding on both fixed and mobile networks as more people connect and existing users consume more data. In 2025, 74% of the world’s population—about 6 billion people—was online, while fixed broadband carried an estimated 7.3 zettabytes of traffic and mobile broadband carried 1.5 zettabytes. These figures describe different parts of the internet: access is still uneven, and fixed networks continue to carry most data even as mobile traffic grows faster.
Table of contents
- Global internet use and growth
- Fixed and mobile traffic volumes
- Devices, video, and mobile demand
- Regional mobile traffic
- Coverage and access gaps
- Subscriptions and broadband technology
Global internet use and growth
The International Telecommunication Union reported that 71% of the world’s population was online in 2024, equal to about 5.8 billion people. In 2025, the share rose to 74%, or about 6 billion people. The same source measured global internet-user growth at 3.3% year over year in 2025, compared with 2.9% in the preceding year. ITU, “Almost three-quarters of the population are online”
The global percentage conceals a wide income divide. Internet use reached 94% of the population in high-income countries in 2025, compared with 23% in low-income countries. Across the CIS, Europe, and the Americas, use was between 88% and 93%. The rate was 77% in Asia-Pacific, 70% in the Arab States, and 36% in Africa in the same year. These are population shares for 2025, not measures of traffic volume or average time online. ITU, “Almost three-quarters of the population are online”
| Population group or region | People online in 2025 |
|---|---|
| High-income countries | 94% |
| CIS, Europe, and the Americas | 88%–93% |
| Asia-Pacific | 77% |
| Arab States | 70% |
| Africa | 36% |
| Low-income countries | 23% |
The change from 2024 to 2025 is therefore both a growth story and an access story. The connected population increased from about 5.8 billion to about 6 billion, while the proportion of people online remained much lower in low-income countries and Africa than in high-income countries and the most connected regions.
Fixed and mobile traffic volumes
Fixed broadband carried an estimated 7.3 zettabytes of traffic in 2025, up from 6.2 zettabytes in 2024. Mobile broadband traffic was estimated at 1.5 zettabytes in 2025, after passing 1 zettabyte in 2023. The two figures should not be treated as interchangeable: they represent separate network categories, and fixed networks carried the larger total volume in 2025. ITU, “Mobile broadband traffic is growing faster, but fixed networks still carry most of the Internet data”
From 2021 onward, mobile broadband traffic grew by an average of 19% annually, compared with 16% annually for fixed broadband traffic. Mobile traffic thus had the faster average growth rate, even though fixed broadband remained the larger carrier of data. Average monthly mobile broadband traffic per subscription also varied sharply by income group and region in 2025:
- The global average was 15.3 GB per subscription per month.
- High-income countries averaged 17.9 GB.
- Low-income countries averaged 2.2 GB.
- Africa averaged 5.2 GB.
- The CIS region averaged 22 GB.
These are traffic averages per mobile broadband subscription, not per person. Subscription counts can exceed the number of people, and the averages do not show how traffic is distributed among individual users. ITU, “Mobile broadband traffic is growing faster, but fixed networks still carry most of the Internet data”
Devices, video, and mobile demand
Ericsson’s device-level figures show rising monthly data use across smartphones, mobile PCs, and tablets. Average traffic per smartphone increased from 19 GB per month in 2024 to 22 GB in 2025; Ericsson forecasts 42 GB per month in 2031. Mobile PC traffic rose from 26 GB to 28 GB over the same years, with a 2031 forecast of 40 GB. Tablet traffic increased from 15 GB in 2024 to 18 GB in 2025, with a forecast of 29 GB in 2031. These 2031 figures are forecasts, not observed measurements. Ericsson, “Global and regional key figures – Ericsson Mobility Report”
| Measure | 2024 | 2025 | 2031 forecast |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartphone traffic per month | 19 GB | 22 GB | 42 GB |
| Mobile PC traffic per month | 26 GB | 28 GB | 40 GB |
| Tablet traffic per month | 15 GB | 18 GB | 29 GB |
| Global mobile data traffic per month | 123 EB | 146 EB | 328 EB |
Global mobile data traffic was 123 EB per month in 2024 and 146 EB per month in 2025. Ericsson forecasts 328 EB per month in 2031. Smartphones generated 121 EB per month in 2024 and 143 EB per month in 2025, with a 2031 forecast of 322 EB. Fixed Wireless Access generated 43 EB per month in 2024 and 57 EB per month in 2025; its 2031 forecast is 187 EB per month. Total mobile network traffic was 166 EB per month in 2024 and 203 EB per month in 2025, with a 2031 forecast of 515 EB. Total fixed data traffic was 330 EB per month in 2024 and 380 EB per month in 2025, with a 2031 forecast of 710 EB. Ericsson, “Global and regional key figures – Ericsson Mobility Report”
The more recent Ericsson update reported that global mobile network data traffic rose 23% between Q2 2025 and Q2 2026 and exceeded 220 EB per month in Q2 2026. Quarter-on-quarter growth was about 6% from Q1 2026 to Q2 2026. Video accounted for about 75% of all mobile data traffic at the end of 2025. The traffic figures are measured for the stated periods, while the 2031 values above are forecasts. Ericsson, “Continued strong growth of mobile network data traffic in Q2 2026”
Regional mobile traffic
Ericsson reported substantial differences in monthly mobile data traffic across regions in 2025. North East Asia generated 44 EB per month, including 38 EB from China. India, Nepal, and Bhutan generated 30 EB, while South East Asia and Oceania generated 20 EB. Western Europe generated 12 EB; North America and the Middle East and North Africa each generated 11 EB. Latin America and Central and Eastern Europe each generated 8 EB and 8.9 EB, respectively. Sub-Saharan Africa generated 2.8 EB per month.
The regional forecasts indicate continued growth through 2031. North East Asia is forecast at 90 EB per month and China at 78 EB. India, Nepal, and Bhutan are forecast at 68 EB, while South East Asia and Oceania are forecast at 40 EB. Western Europe is forecast at 26 EB, North America at 22 EB, and Latin America at 21 EB. Central and Eastern Europe are forecast at 20 EB, the Middle East and North Africa at 30 EB, and Sub-Saharan Africa at 9.7 EB per month. Ericsson, “Global and regional key figures – Ericsson Mobility Report”
| Region | 2025 mobile traffic | 2031 forecast |
|---|---|---|
| North East Asia | 44 EB/month | 90 EB/month |
| China | 38 EB/month | 78 EB/month |
| India, Nepal, and Bhutan | 30 EB/month | 68 EB/month |
| South East Asia and Oceania | 20 EB/month | 40 EB/month |
| Western Europe | 12 EB/month | 26 EB/month |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 2.8 EB/month | 9.7 EB/month |
The regional figures are monthly traffic totals, so they should not be read as per-person usage rates. A region’s total depends on its population, number of connections, device mix, and consumption levels. The figures also use Ericsson’s regional groupings, which are not identical to the income-group comparisons used by the ITU.
Coverage and access gaps
5G coverage reached 55% of the world’s population in 2025. Coverage was 84% in high-income countries but 4% in low-income countries. By region, 5G covered 74% of people in Europe, 70% in Asia-Pacific, and 60% in the Americas. Coverage was 13% in the Arab States, 12% in Africa, and 8% in the CIS region. ITU, “More than half of the world’s population is covered by 5G”
Older network generations still determine whether many people can connect. 4G covered 93% of the world’s population in 2025, but only 56% of people in low-income countries. Coverage by 3G or higher reached 96% globally, leaving approximately 312 million people without that level of mobile coverage. Urban-rural differences were also substantial: 66% of urban residents had 5G coverage compared with 40% of rural residents globally. In low-income countries, 5G reached 9% of urban residents and was essentially unavailable in rural areas. ITU, “More than half of the world’s population is covered by 5G”
Subscriptions and broadband technology
There were 9.2 billion mobile-cellular subscriptions worldwide in 2025, equivalent to 112 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. High-income countries had 142 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, compared with 70 per 100 in low-income countries. The CIS region had 159 per 100, while Africa had 92 per 100. These are subscription densities, not the percentage of people who use the internet. ITU, “5G subscriptions already represent more than one-third of all mobile broadband subscriptions”
Mobile broadband represented 89% of all mobile subscriptions in 2025, equal to 99 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide. It represented less than 50% of mobile subscriptions in 2015, showing the shift toward data-capable mobile access over that period. The Americas had 132 mobile broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2025, compared with 56 per 100 in Africa. 5G/IMT-2020 subscriptions accounted for 36% of all mobile broadband subscriptions in 2025. ITU, “5G subscriptions already represent more than one-third of all mobile broadband subscriptions”
Fixed broadband penetration was 20 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants worldwide in 2025. That was above the historical peak of 19 fixed-line subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2006. Taken together, the subscription data shows a mixed access model: mobile broadband is widespread and increasingly central to internet use, while fixed broadband remains important for the larger traffic volumes carried by fixed networks.