How much of people’s income does mobile broadband cost worldwide?
As of 2024, mobile broadband affordability is 1.1%: from 1.9% of income in 2021 to 1.1% in 2024.
Why it changed
Competition among carriers, cheaper smartphones, and affordability policy pushed the global median price of mobile broadband down from 1.9% of income per person in 2021 to 1.1% in 2024. At the same time, people in low-income countries still pay roughly 19 times that income share compared with high-income countries, and 68 of 208 countries still haven’t crossed the UN’s 2%-of-income affordability line.
Source · ITU, Measuring Digital Development: Affordability of ICT Services 2024 ITU data openly available for non-commercial use with attribution Last reviewed 2026-07-07
See one like this every morning.
Progress Tab replaces your new tab with one sourced number about the world. You guess first, then see the real number.
Add to Chrome Free · no account · opens on every new tabAlso available for Firefox →Common questions
What is the source for this number?
ITU, Measuring Digital Development: Affordability of ICT Services 2024. Last reviewed 2026-07-07 — ITU data openly available for non-commercial use with attribution.
How has this changed since 2021?
from 1.9% of income in 2021 to 1.1% in 2024. As of 2024, mobile broadband affordability stands at 1.1%.
What still isn’t solved?
People in low-income countries still pay roughly 19 times that income share compared with high-income countries, and 68 of 208 countries still haven’t crossed the UN’s 2%-of-income affordability line.