49 percent of citizens using the internet
Nearly Half of Bangladesh’s Population Remains Offline
About 81 percent of Bangladesh’s population currently uses mobile phones, but only 57 percent own a mobile handset, indicating a significant gap between usage and personal ownership. A similar disparity exists in internet access, with only 49 percent of citizens using the internet individually, meaning nearly half of the population remains outside internet coverage.
The findings show that while mobile phone usage among men and women is nearly equal—81 percent among men and 79 percent among women—a notable gender gap persists in ownership and internet access. Women lag behind men by 10 percentage points in mobile phone ownership and by 5 percentage points in internet usage.
According to the latest population census data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the country currently has a population of 169.8 million. Of them, approximately 136.9 million people use mobile phones, while 95.9 million own a mobile handset. More than 83 million people are currently using the internet.
Survey data further reveals that 63 percent of men own at least one mobile phone, compared to 53 percent of women. In terms of internet usage, 51 percent of men are online, while the rate among women is slightly above 46 percent.
While internet usage in Bangladesh has steadily increased over the years, ownership of basic mobile phones has declined. In 2022, about 61.8 percent of the population owned a mobile phone. By September 2025, that figure dropped to 57 percent. Conversely, internet usage rose significantly—from 38.9 percent in 2022 to 48.9 percent within three years.
DBTech/DMO/EK/OR
