COMCEC Transport and Communications
Outlook 2019
52
Figure 29: Fixed broadband subscriptions (per 100 people) (2000-2018)
Source: World Bank
Internet usage throughout the globe has been rapidly increasing. While the total number of
internet users in the world was about 1 billion in 2005, it exceed 3.5 billion in 2017. Internet
usage rate reached 85 percent in 2017 in high-income countries, while it was 49 and 16 percent
for middle and lower income countries respectively. Similar to fixed broadband subscriptions,
there is a huge difference between high and low income countries in terms of internet usage and
this gap is not diminishing, if not growing. This divide poses a serious threat of deepening
existing social and economic inequalities.
Figure 30: Individuals using the Internet (% of population) (1990-2017)
Source: World Bank
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
High income Low income Middle income World
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011 2014 2017
High income Low income Middle income World