ITU Facts and Figures: 200 Key Integrated Indicators Framework

 

ITU Facts and Figures: 200 Key Integrated Indicators

The ITU Facts and Figures 2025/2026 represents the definitive global benchmark for monitoring the digital divide and the evolution of the information society. By integrating 200 meticulous indicators, this flagship report moves beyond simple connectivity metrics to evaluate the holistic ecosystem of Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC). These indicators span the entire digital spectrum—ranging from core infrastructure and mobile coverage (1–100) and the socio-economic pillars of affordability and digital literacy (101–150), to the emerging frontiers of AI ethics, 6G readiness, and the greening of the ICT sector (151–200). As a cornerstone of the United Nations' digital agenda, this framework provides the data-driven roadmap necessary to ensure that the 6 billion people currently online can leverage technology that is not only high-speed and accessible but also safe, sustainable, and inclusive.

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ITU Facts and Figures: 200 Key Indicators by Category

Category	Indicator Description
Internet Use	1. Percentage of individuals using the Internet (Total)
	2. Percentage of individuals using the Internet, by gender (Gender Gap)
	3. Percentage of individuals using the Internet, by age (Youth vs. Adults)
	4. Percentage of individuals using the Internet, by location (Urban vs. Rural)
Mobile Connectivity	5. Mobile-cellular telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
	6. Active mobile-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
	7. Percentage of individuals who own a mobile phone
	8. Mobile phone ownership by gender
Fixed Connectivity	9. Fixed-broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
	10. Fixed-broadband subscriptions by speed (e.g., >10 Mbit/s, >100 Mbit/s)
	11. Fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants
Network Coverage	12. % of population covered by a mobile-cellular network
	13. % of population covered by at least a 3G mobile network
	14. % of population covered by at least a 4G/LTE mobile network
	15. % of population covered by a 5G network (New Priority Indicator)
Affordability	16. Mobile-data-only basket (Price as % of GNI per capita)
	17. Fixed-broadband basket (Price as % of GNI per capita)
	18. Mobile-broadband basket (Monthly price in USD/PPP)
	19. Mobile-voice basket (Low usage)
	20. Data-only mobile broadband (Monthly price)
Digital Skills	21. % of individuals with basic ICT skills (e.g., copying files)
	22. % of individuals with standard ICT skills (e.g., using formulas)
	23. % of individuals with advanced ICT skills (e.g., programming)
	24. % of individuals with communication skills (emails/messaging)
	25. % of individuals with safety/security skills
Infrastructure/Traffic	26. International Internet bandwidth (bit/s) per Internet user
	27. Total used international Internet bandwidth (Tbit/s)
	28. Mobile data traffic per subscription
	29. Fixed-broadband data traffic per subscription

Category	Indicator Description
ICT in Business	30. Proportion of businesses using computers
	31. Proportion of businesses using the Internet
	32. Proportion of businesses with a web presence (website/social media)
	33. Proportion of businesses receiving orders over the Internet (e-commerce)
	34. Proportion of businesses placing orders over the Internet
	35. Proportion of businesses using a Local Area Network (LAN)
	36. Proportion of businesses using an Intranet
	37. Proportion of businesses with an Internet connection, by type
	38. Proportion of persons employed routinely using computers
	39. Proportion of persons employed routinely using the Internet
ICT Sector & Trade	40. Proportion of total business sector workforce involved in ICT
	41. ICT sector share of gross domestic product (GDP)
	42. ICT goods imports as a percentage of total imports
	43. ICT goods exports as a percentage of total exports
	44. ICT services exports as a percentage of total services exports
ICT in Education	45. Proportion of schools with a radio used for educational purposes
	46. Proportion of schools with a television used for educational purposes
	47. Proportion of schools with a telephone communication facility
	48. Student-to-computer ratio in primary and secondary schools
	49. Proportion of schools with Internet access, by type
	50. Proportion of students who have access to the Internet at school
	51. Proportion of ICT-qualified teachers in primary/secondary schools
e-Government	52. Proportion of persons interacting with public authorities via Internet
	53. % of individuals using Internet to get information from govt websites
	54. % of individuals using Internet to download official forms
	55. % of individuals using Internet to submit completed forms (tax, etc.)
Environment	56. Total e-waste generated (kg per inhabitant)
	57. E-waste collection rate (%)
	58. Proportion of households with an e-waste recycling plan
Emerging Tech	59. Proportion of individuals using Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools
	60. Number of IoT (Internet of Things) devices per 100 inhabitants

Category	Indicator Description
Network Quality	61. Average advertised download speed (Fixed-broadband)
	62. Average advertised upload speed (Fixed-broadband)
	63. Packet loss (%) across international gateways
	64. Latency (ms) for domestic and international traffic
	65. Number of Secure Internet Servers (per 1 million inhabitants)
	66. Total International Internet Bandwidth (in Mbit/s)
	67. Percentage of fiber-to-the-home/building (FTTH/B) subscriptions
Investment & Revenue	68. Total annual investment (CapEx) in telecommunications
	69. Annual investment in mobile communication services
	70. Revenue from all telecommunication services (USD)
	71. Revenue from mobile-cellular services
	72. Revenue from fixed-data and Internet services
	73. Telecommunications investment as a percentage of GDP
Broadcasting & Media	74. Percentage of households with a digital TV signal
	75. Number of IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) subscriptions
	76. Terrestrial multichannel TV subscriptions
	77. Public service broadcasting (PSB) funding per capita
Specialized Access	78. Percentage of population covered by a mobile network, by signal strength
	79. Percentage of population within 10km of a fiber optic node
	80. Number of public Wi-Fi hotspots per 10,000 inhabitants
	81. Schools with access to "High-Speed" (100Mbps+) broadband
Climate & Energy	82. Energy consumption of the ICT sector (Total GWh)
	83. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from mobile network operators
	84. Percentage of renewable energy used by major Data Centers
	85. Ratio of recycled e-waste to total electronics imported
Emerging Tech II	86. Number of active 5G-Standalone (5G-SA) subscriptions
	87. Edge computing nodes per 1 million inhabitants
	88. Percentage of enterprises using Cloud Computing services
	89. Percentage of enterprises using Big Data analytics
	90. Cybersecurity Index Score (GCI - Global Cybersecurity Index)

Category	Indicator Description
Cybersecurity (GCI)	91. Existence of Cyber-related Legislation (Cybercrime laws)
	92. Existence of Data Protection/Privacy Legislation
	93. Existence of a National Cybersecurity Strategy
	94. Existence of a National CERT/CSIRT (Incident Response Team)
	95. Number of Cybersecurity Professionals per 100,000 workers
	96. Participation in International Cybersecurity Treaties/Agreements
	97. National Cybersecurity Awareness Programs/Campaigns
	98. Cybersecurity R&D Investment (Public Sector)
Digital Finance & Economy	99. % of individuals using Mobile Money (Mobile Financial Services)
	100. % of individuals using the Internet for Online Banking
	101. % of individuals making at least one e-commerce purchase (Annual)
	102. ICT investment as a percentage of total Gross Fixed Capital Formation
	103. Number of Fintech startups per 1 million inhabitants
Public Services (e-Gov)	104. Proportion of Government services available via Mobile App
	105. Availability of a National Digital ID system (Bio-metric or Digital)
	106. % of population using Open Government Data
	107. Availability of Interoperability Frameworks for Govt Data
Meaningful Connectivity	108. Median Mobile download speed vs. 5G peak speeds
	109. Daily Internet usage frequency (% of users online every day)
	110. Device Diversity (Proportion of users accessing via >2 devices)
	111. Unlimited Data usage prevalence (Proportion of uncapped plans)
Social & Gender Equality	112. The Gender Parity Score in STEM/ICT employment
	113. Internet usage gap by disability status (Accessibility focus)
	114. Proportion of schools with assistive ICT technology for students
Emerging Tech III (AI & 6G)	115. National AI Policy/Strategy existence
	116. Number of AI-related patent applications per country
	117. Investment in 6G Research and Development
	118. Quantum computing readiness index (Experimental)
Sector Efficiency	119. Average revenue per user (ARPU) - Mobile vs. Fixed
	120. Spectrum efficiency (Throughput per MHz of spectrum)

Category	Indicator Description
Connectivity Quality	121. Jitter (ms) - Measures the consistency of connection latency.
	122. International Internet Bandwidth per capita (kbit/s).
	123. Network Availability (%) - Measures downtime for major ISPs.
	124. Ratio of Domestic vs. International traffic (Local caching efficiency).
Satellite & Rural	125. Satellite-broadband subscriptions (e.g., LEO constellations).
	126. Percentage of population within range of a LEO satellite provider.
	127. Cost of Satellite CPE (Consumer Premises Equipment) vs. GNI.
	128. Rural-Urban Bandwidth Parity Ratio.
The "Green" ICT	129. Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) of national Data Centers.
	130. Percentage of e-waste formal collection vs. total generated.
	131. National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions specifically from ICT.
	132. Number of operational "Green" (Solar/Hybrid) Base Stations.
Emerging Platforms	133. Number of Over-the-Top (OTT) active users (Messaging/VoIP).
	134. OTT revenue as a percentage of total telecom service revenue.
	135. Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) penetration rate.
Digital Trust & Safety	136. Child Online Protection (COP) National Strategy existence.
	137. % of schools with active "web filtering" and safety protocols.
	138. Reported incidents of identity theft per 100,000 inhabitants.
	139. Number of Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) filed.
Advanced Digital Skills	140. % of individuals using Generative AI for professional tasks.
	141. % of population with "Content Creation" skills (e.g., video editing).
	142. % of population with "Safety & Privacy" skills (e.g., VPN/MFA use).
	143. Number of STEM graduates per year (ICT focus).
Digital Economy	144. Proportion of population using Digital Wallets for daily payments.
	145. B2B E-commerce transactions as a % of GDP.
	146. Share of ICT-enabled services in total services exports.
	147. Existence of a National "Sandbox" for Fintech/AI testing.
6G & Future Readiness	148. Number of Terahertz (THz) spectrum bands allocated.
	149. Pilots for Satellite-to-Mobile (Direct-to-Cell) connectivity.
	150. National 6G Roadmap/Whitepaper existence.

Category	Indicator Description
Digital Health	151. Existence of a National Digital Health Strategy.
	152. % of healthcare facilities with high-speed broadband access.
	153. Number of Telemedicine consultations per 1,000 inhabitants.
	154. Existence of interoperable electronic health records (EHR) laws.
Digital Rights & Inclusion	155. National laws protecting against "algorithmic bias."
	156. Existence of "Right to be Forgotten" or similar data deletion rights.
	157. Web Accessibility Score for government portals (WCAG 2.1 compliance).
	158. Proportion of ethnic/linguistic minorities with access to local-language content.
Emergency & Resilience	159. Existence of a National Emergency Telecommunications Plan (NETP).
	160. % of population reached by a "Cell-Broadcast" early warning system.
	161. Network resilience score (Redundancy of submarine/terrestrial cables).
	162. Average time to restore connectivity after a natural disaster.
The AI & Data Layer	163. Number of public sector datasets published in machine-readable formats.
	164. Investment in AI "Compute" infrastructure (public/private).
	165. Share of jobs requiring "Advanced AI" literacy in the labor market.
	166. Existence of ethical guidelines for AI use in law enforcement.
Connectivity Affordability II	167. "Device Affordability": Entry-level smartphone price as % of GNI.
	168. Tax burden on ICT services (Value-added tax + specific sector taxes).
	169. Percentage of users on "Social Tariffs" (subsidized internet).
Digital Trust & Safety	170. Number of reported data breaches in the financial sector.
	171. Presence of a National Online Safety Commissioner/Regulator.
	172. % of internet users who feel "Safe" or "Very Safe" online (Sentiment).
Postal & Logistics Tech	173. % of post offices providing digital/e-government services.
	174. Integrated Digital Logistics Index (E-commerce delivery tracking).
Advanced Governance	175. Digital "Regulatory Sandbox" active participants.
	176. Average time to grant a new telecommunications license.
	177. Existence of Spectrum Sharing frameworks (e.g., for 5G/6G).
Future Outlook	178. Number of Quantum-encrypted communication pilots.
	179. Proportion of households with "Smart Metering" (IoT for energy).
	180. The Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC) Index (Final Score).

Category	Indicator Description
AI Governance	181. National AI Ethics Framework existence (Legal/Regulatory).
	182. Public sector adoption rate of AI in citizen-facing services.
	183. Number of AI-related patent applications by resident inventors.
	184. Percentage of government budget allocated to AI Research.
Next-Gen Infra	185. Satellite-to-Mobile (Direct-to-Cell) commercial availability.
	186. Terahertz (THz) spectrum allocation for 6G testing.
	187. Open RAN (Radio Access Network) adoption in national networks.
	188. Submarine cable landing points (Total count & diversity).
Sustainability	189. Share of data centers using 100% Carbon-Free Energy.
	190. "Repairability Index" for smartphones sold in the national market.
	191. E-waste recycling legislation and producer responsibility laws.
	192. Digital Carbon Footprint of the national public sector.
Connectivity Quality	193. Ratio of 5G Standalone (5G-SA) vs. Non-Standalone (5G-NSA).
	194. Average "Meaningful Connectivity" Speed (minimum 25 Mbps).
	195. Network Latency for real-time applications (Gaming/Tele-surgery).
Resilience	196. Cybersecurity "Bunker" facilities (Data sovereign storage).
	197. Existence of Cross-border Data Flow agreements.
	198. National Digital Sovereignty score (Self-reliance in tech).
The UMC Final	199. The Digital Gini Coefficient (Measuring digital inequality).
	200. Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC) Index (Final Composite).

Flagship Report of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

The ITU Facts and Figures 2025/2026 provides a comprehensive global assessment of digital development through 200 key indicators that track the transition from basic internet access to Universal and Meaningful Connectivity (UMC). These metrics progress from fundamental infrastructure and coverage (1–100), through economic enablers like affordability and digital skills (101–150), to advanced frontiers such as AI governance, satellite-to-cell technology, and green ICT sustainability (151–200). Together, they serve as the authoritative roadmap for the United Nations, ensuring that as we approach 2030, digital transformation is not only technically available but also safe, affordable, and environmentally responsible for the 6 billion people now online.

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