Mobile Phone Ownership and Digital Inclusion
In 2025, 84% of adults in developing countries own a mobile phone, according to the Global Findex. However, one in four adults only has a basic phone, without internet or applications. Therefore, only two-thirds of adults have a smartphone capable of browsing the web and using digital services. Source: Official World Bank boundaries, Global Findex 2025 database, Gallup World Poll, 2024.
Significant Regional Disparities
Smartphone ownership varies greatly from country to country. In developed countries, smartphones have become essential for daily life, education, work, and access to online services. In regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, many people do not have smartphones, due to low incomes and insufficient infrastructure. These inequalities particularly affect women and low-income households. Basic phones are widespread, but smartphones remain out of reach for many. Access to smartphones depends on the level of development, income, and gender. Smartphones are a symbol of modernity and connectivity, but not everyone has access to them. Reducing these gaps is crucial to enable everyone to use the internet and support the development of disadvantaged regions.
Different Digital Uses by Region
In 2024, social media and digital messaging were the most common uses, especially in East Asia and the Pacific, and Europe and Central Asia. Source: Global Findex 2025 database. Reading online news is also frequent. Access to online public services is limited but progressing. For education, only 20 to 30% of adults use the internet for this purpose. For work or earning money online, usage remains very low, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Even when smartphones are available, internet usage depends on knowledge, infrastructure, and income.
Obstacles to Digital Inclusion
The cost of smartphones remains the main obstacle, especially in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Even when devices are free or subsidized, it is not always enough. Some users resell them or leave them to other family members. Other difficulties limit access to digital services, such as the cost of data plans, reading, writing, or using touch screens, and dependence on someone else's phone. Moreover, access to certain services often requires identification, such as buying a SIM card, opening a mobile money account, or registering on online work platforms. In countries where less than 70% of adults have identification, registering for a SIM card becomes a major obstacle to digital inclusion.
