Computers no longer needed to access the Internet at home

Important: for the latest statistics and estimates, refer to Measuring digital development Facts and figures 2020

Percentage of households with Internet access at home and with a computer, 2019*

Note: * ITU estimate. Source: ITU.

The percentage of households with Internet access at home is generally correlated with a region ́s level of development.

In all regions of the world, households are more likely to have Internet access at home than to have a computer because Internet access is also possible through other devices.

In Africa and the LDCs, very few households have either Internet access or a computer.

Percentage of households with Internet access at home and with a computer, 2005-2019*

Note: * ITU estimate. Source: ITU.

Before the rise of smartphones, there were virtually no countries where more households had Internet access at home than computers.

In recent years, however, more households in many countries have had Internet access than computers. This is because computers are no longer necessary to connect to the Internet, and many people connect using devices such as smartphones.