More than half of the world's population owns a smartphone

GSMA’s Mobile Internet Connectivity Report for 2023 reveals the number of smartphone owners in the world. Currently, there are over 8 billion people in the world, and the report points out that 4.3 billion people own smartphones. That number is more than half of the world’s population, meaning that the world is an actual global village.

The report goes on to point out that 4.6 billion people in the world have access to the internet. Out of this number, 4 billion access the internet using a smartphone instead of other smart devices. The other 0.6 billion people access the internet with the help of other smart devices like PCs and tablets.

Aside from the number of smartphone owners in the world, the report also provides insight into other issues. Part of the other details this report brings is the percentage of the world making use of various network connectivity models. Some netizens might be shocked because of the data this report provides.

Details from the GSMA Mobile Internet Connectivity Report for 2023 on the world’s percentage of smartphone owners

In your daily activities, you come across lots of people with smartphones having access to the internet. For this reason, it might sound strange when you think of the possibility of a world without smartphones. While the majority of the world’s population uses a smartphone, it might be hard for some to imagine that certain people don’t have access to smartphones.

However, the GSMA’s report shows that about 3.4 billion people in the world don’t own a smartphone. With this amount of people not having access to a smartphone, connectivity in certain areas might be an issue. In areas like Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, the number of people not being online is 59% and 52% respectively.

Now, that is more than the percentage of people in these areas with access to the internet. The report also looks into the percentage of the world’s population that uses various connection types.

In North America, East Asia, and the Pacific, over 69% of the population in these areas uses 4G-enabled devices. The majority of smartphone owners in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, and North Africa are using 3G connectivity. Lastly, over 8% of the world’s population (600 million) access the internet using feature phones.

This report highlights not only the growth of technology but also areas where more work needs to be done. The lack of smartphones or good internet connections in certain areas leads to a lack of development in certain sectors. There is a need to bridge the digital divide in these areas and make the internet accessible to those living in such areas using simple devices such as a smartphone.