How many people in the world use mobile communication and how many have a smartphone?

The GSM Association (GSMA) has published the 2023 report on mobile internet connection. According to the document, 4.3 billion people around the world have a smartphone, which is 55% of the total population of the planet. The number of mobile Internet users is 4.6 billion, of which 4 billion access the Internet through smartphones.

The GSMA report states that 69% of smartphone owners in North America and East Asia have devices connected to 4G, while the majority of users in Africa and the Middle East continue to use a 3G network.

Mobile Internet continues to spread actively, but about 3.4 billion people still do not have access to this type of connection. Thirty-eight percent of the world's population lives in regions where mobile internet is available, but does not use it. Fifty-nine percent of the population in sub-Saharan Africa and 52% of the population in South Asia do not have Internet access.

The report also states that 600 million people, or about 8% of the world's population, use the mobile Internet using regular phones, not smartphones. Barriers to expanding mobile phone usage include insufficient digital skills, illiteracy, security issues and availability of relevant content.

Lack of connectivity prevents billions of people from accessing vital services, exacerbating the already dire plight of poor and less educated populations. They are also negatively affected by the high cost of living and the increasing number of emergency situations; the organization called for "accelerating the adoption of digital technologies and removing barriers to stop further widening of the digital divide".