2021年网络发展报告（英）-31页_3mb

Summary of Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures 2021

Core Content

Measuring Digital Development: Facts and Figures 2021 is a report by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that provides comprehensive statistics on global digital development, focusing on Internet usage, mobile broadband penetration, affordability, and digital skills.

Main Points

• Internet Uptake:
  In 2021, an estimated 4.9 billion people use the Internet, representing 63% of the global population. This is a 17% increase from 2019, with 800 million new users.

  • Africa and Asia-Pacific saw the largest growth in Internet use, with 23% and 24% increases, respectively.
  • The digital divide between developed and least developed countries (LDCs) narrowed slightly from 66 percentage points in 2017 to 63 percentage points in 2021.
  • Youth (15-24 years) are more connected than other age groups, with 71% of them using the Internet in 2020, compared to 57% for the rest of the population.
  • Gender gap in Internet use is narrowing globally, with a global gender parity score of 0.92 in 2020, up from 0.89 in 2018.
  • Urban-rural divide remains significant, with Internet users in urban areas being twice as high as those in rural areas. In Africa, only 15% of the rural population is online.

• Mobile Broadband Penetration:

  • 95% of the world's population has access to a mobile broadband network.
  • 4G coverage doubled between 2015 and 2021, reaching 88% of the global population.
  • Africa still has a significant coverage gap, with 18% of the rural population having no access to mobile broadband.
  • Mobile broadband subscriptions increased to 83 per 100 inhabitants in 2021, driven mainly by Asia-Pacific and Americas.
  • Fixed broadband subscriptions reached 17 per 100 inhabitants globally in 2021, with LDCs at 1.4 per 100 inhabitants.

• Affordability:

  • The Broadband Commission aims for entry-level broadband to cost less than 2% of GNI per capita by 2025.
  • In 2020, only 43% of economies met this affordability target for mobile broadband, and only 1% for fixed broadband.
  • In LDCs, the cost of Internet access remains high, with 34 kbit/s per user in 2021, compared to 144 kbit/s in developing countries and 296 kbit/s in developed countries.

• Mobile Phone Ownership:

  • Mobile phones are becoming ubiquitous, with more than 90% of the population owning one in half of the countries.
  • Gender parity in mobile phone ownership is improving, with 21 countries still showing a gap.
  • Women are more likely to own mobile phones in some regions, such as LDCs, where more women than men own them.

• Digital Skills:

  • Basic ICT skills are essential for meaningful connectivity, but only 40% of individuals in some countries reported performing these activities.
  • Standard ICT skills, such as creating presentations or installing software, are even less widespread, with less than 40% of individuals in 70% of countries using them.
  • Advanced ICT skills, such as writing computer programs, are rare, with only 15% of countries reporting more than 10% of individuals with such skills.

Key Information

• Global Connectivity:

  • 2.9 billion people remain offline, with 96% of them in developing countries.
  • Developed countries have nearly universal Internet access (90%+), while LDCs lag far behind.

• Challenges:

  • Affordability, access, and digital skills are the main barriers to Internet access.
  • Digital exclusion has been exacerbated by the pandemic, highlighting the urgent need to bridge the digital divide to meet the SDGs.

• Future Outlook:

  • The ITU emphasizes the importance of measuring digital development to inform policy and advocacy.
  • ICT price trends and skills development are crucial for achieving universal connectivity and digital inclusion.

Conclusion

The report underscores that while Internet usage has grown significantly, especially during the pandemic, the digital divide persists, particularly in rural areas, LDCs, and among women and older populations. Affordability and digital skills are key challenges that must be addressed to ensure meaningful connectivity and equitable access. The ITU calls for global action to close these gaps and support digital development as a core component of sustainable progress.