Nearly half of Bangladesh’s population still offline: BBS Survey

Business Report :

Despite more than a decade of rapid expansion in internet and smartphone services, nearly half of Bangladesh’s population remains outside the digital network at the individual level, according to the latest survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).

The BBS quarterly report on ICT usage shows that by the end of September 2025, only 48.9 percent of people aged five and above were direct internet users. At the household level, just over half approximately 56 percent had at least one internet user during July-September. Compared with June 2025, household internet use declined slightly from 55.1 percent to 50.4 percent, highlighting continued digital exclusion even as online platforms dominate access to education, healthcare, finance, and government programs.

The survey, covering 61,632 households, revealed that around 80.6 percent of people use mobile phones, with 56.5 percent owning one. Mobile phone use is nearly equal between men and women 81 percent of men and 79 percent of women but ownership and internet access show a gender gap. About 63 percent of men own a phone, compared to 53 percent of women. Internet usage is 51.2 percent for men and 46.3 percent for women.

At the household level, 99 percent have at least one mobile phone, while 72.4 percent own a smartphone. Television is in 59 percent of households, radio use has dropped to 15 percent, and only 9.1 percent have a computer. Electricity coverage reaches 99 percent.

Smartphone ownership is higher in urban areas (81 percent) than in rural areas (69 percent).
“Nearly half of Bangladesh’s population still does not use the internet, and the situation is worse than neighbouring countries,” said AKM Fahim Mashroor, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services. Over 70 percent of India’s population and more than 60 percent of Pakistan’s population are online.

Mashroor said high data prices are the main obstacle, with about half of mobile data costs going to government taxes and fees. “This makes internet unaffordable for large segments of the population. Usage will not improve significantly unless smartphone penetration rises and data prices fall.” The survey shows internet usage rising from 38.9 percent in 2022 to 48.9 percent in 2025.

Experts warn that high costs and infrastructure gaps continue to hinder digital inclusion, especially for women, rural residents, and low-income groups.