More than half of Bangladeshis now use the internet

In 2010, fewer than 4% of Bangladeshis used the internet. By 2024 the International Telecommunication Union estimated that 53% did — roughly 93 million people.

3.7% → 53%

Share of the population using the internet, 2010 to 2024.

Almost all of this growth came through mobile phones: the arrival of 3G in 2013 and 4G in 2018, cheap smartphones and some of the lowest mobile-data prices in the world.

Headline figures from the telecoms regulator (BTRC) are much higher — over 130 million internet subscriptions — but one person can hold several SIM cards, so subscriptions overstate the number of people online. By the ITU’s measure, nearly half the population is still offline, disproportionately women, rural residents and older people.

Source: International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank WDI.