Which country has the largest offline population?
India has more people offline than any other country. DataReportal’s latest country figures put 440 million people in India, 30.0% of the population, not using the internet at the end of 2025 [3]. That is still more than three times the number in any other country, even though it is well down on the 644.59 million shown for July 2024 on the infographic on this page.
The rest of the top ten is made up of populous countries in South Asia and large countries in Africa where most people are still not connected. Here are the ten countries on the graphic, with the July 2024 figures it uses and DataReportal’s figures for the end of 2025 [1][3]:
| Country | Offline, July 2024 (millions) | Offline, end of 2025 (millions) | Share of population offline, end of 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 644.59 | 440 | 30.0% |
| China | 320.66 | 119 | 8.4% |
| Pakistan | 132.90 | 139 | 54.4% |
| Nigeria | 124.80 | 130 | 54.5% |
| Ethiopia | 104.58 | 107 | 78.3% |
| Bangladesh | 96.95 | 93.4 | 53.0% |
| Indonesia | 78.94 | 55.8 | 19.5% |
| DR Congo | 76.85 | 79.0 | 69.5% |
| Tanzania | 47.28 | 50.4 | 70.9% |
| Uganda | 36.39 | 40.3 | 78.0% |
On the newer figures Pakistan (139 million) and Nigeria (130 million) have both overtaken China (119 million), so China is now fourth among these ten. The country shown as “Congo” is the Democratic Republic of the Congo, not the smaller Republic of the Congo next door.
How many people in the world are offline?
About 2 billion people, roughly one in four, do not use the internet. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN agency that tracks connectivity, estimates that 6.3 billion people, 76% of the world’s population, are using the internet in 2026, which leaves 2 billion offline [4]. DataReportal’s own count is close: 6.15 billion internet users and about 2.17 billion people offline at the start of October 2026 [5].
The number has been falling steadily. In July 2024, when the infographic was made, DataReportal counted 5.45 billion users, 67.1% of the world, and 2.67 billion people offline [1]. Added together, the ten countries on the graphic held about 1.66 billion of those offline people, around 62% of the world total (our sum). On the end of 2025 figures the same ten countries hold about 1.25 billion people offline, still more than half of the 2.21 billion DataReportal counted in October 2025 [2][3].
Why India’s offline population is so large
India’s position is mainly down to its size. With around 1.47 billion people, even a 70% connection rate leaves hundreds of millions offline. DataReportal counted 1.03 billion internet users in India at the end of 2025 [3].
The drop from 644.59 million to 440 million offline in about 18 months looks dramatic, but most of it is not new users. DataReportal says a large part of the apparent growth in its global user count came from revisions to India’s adoption figures, after newer official data showed more people online than earlier estimates suggested [2]. So the July 2024 figure for India was probably too high at the time, and you should treat changes between the two columns in the table above with some caution.
China is a useful contrast. It has a similar population to India, but 91.6% of people there were online at the end of 2025, so only 119 million were offline [3].
Why so many people in Africa are offline
Five of the ten countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, and their numbers come from low connection rates rather than very large populations. Ethiopia and Uganda each had about 78% of people offline at the end of 2025, and Tanzania and the DR Congo about 70% [3]. ITU puts internet use across Africa at 36% in 2025, compared with 88% to 93% in Europe, the Americas and the Commonwealth of Independent States [6].
Income is the biggest single divide. ITU estimates that 93% of people in high income countries use the internet in 2026, against 32% in low income countries [4]. Other gaps are smaller but still large: 82% of people in towns and cities are online, compared with 63% in rural areas, and 79% of men compared with 74% of women [4].
Lack of a signal is rarely the main problem. ITU estimates that 97% of the world’s population lives within reach of at least a 3G mobile network [4]. The barriers are more often the cost of a phone and data, a lack of digital skills, and a lack of useful content in local languages. In the least developed countries, the median price of a basic mobile broadband package is still 6.1% of average income per person, three times the 2% affordability target [4].
Countries where almost nobody is online
The countries with the most people offline are not the same as the countries with the lowest share of people online. North Korea has the lowest internet use of any country, with fewer than 1 in 100 people able to get online because of a government ban [2]. Several smaller African countries also have very low rates, but their populations are too small to put them in the top ten by number.
Questions about the largest offline population
Which country has the largest offline population?
India, with about 440 million people not using the internet at the end of 2025, according to DataReportal [3]. The infographic, based on July 2024 data, gave 644.59 million, but India’s figures have since been revised.
How many people are not connected to the internet?
About 2 billion people in 2026, according to ITU, or 24% of the world’s population [4]. DataReportal estimated 2.17 billion in October 2026 [5].
Which countries have the most people without internet access?
After India, Pakistan (139 million), Nigeria (130 million), China (119 million), Ethiopia (107 million) and Bangladesh (93.4 million) had the most people offline at the end of 2025 [3].
What percentage of the world uses the internet?
ITU estimates 76% in 2026, up from 74% in 2025 [4]. DataReportal put it at 73.9% in October 2026 [5].
What percentage of India is offline?
About 30% of India’s population, or 440 million people, did not use the internet at the end of 2025 [3].
Sources
- DataReportal (Simon Kemp), Digital 2024 July Global Statshot Report, 31 July 2024. The source of the July 2024 figures on the infographic.
- DataReportal, Digital 2026 Global Overview Report, October 2025.
- DataReportal, Digital 2026 country reports for India, China, Pakistan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, DR Congo, Tanzania and Uganda (figures for the end of 2025).
- International Telecommunication Union, 6.3 billion people now online, yet digital divides persist (Facts and Figures 2026), 3 November 2026.
- DataReportal, Digital 2027 Global Overview Report, 21 October 2026.
- International Telecommunication Union, Facts and Figures 2025, Internet use.
Last reviewed 7 November 2026
