A third of the world’s population will be deprived of the internet in 2022, and the pace of new connections has slowed, according to the latest UN statistics released on Friday.

“About 5.3 billion people around the world use the Internet, and although growth remains encouraging, the trend shows that without new investment in infrastructure and a new impulse to create new digital knowledge, the chances of connecting the world’s population by 2030 seem increasingly less. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) said in a press release.

In 2022, 2.7 billion people do not have access to the Internet; In 2019 there were 3,600 before covid-19.

They advocate for “more investment in networks and digital technologies”.

The pandemic “has given us a good boost in terms of connectivity, but we need to keep pace to ensure everyone can benefit,” said ITU Secretary-General Houlin Zhao.

Regional disparities remain strong: Europe ranks first with 89% of its population connected, and the Americas show rates of over 80%, but in regions like Africa, connectivity reaches only 40% of the population.

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The ITU has identified two main barriers: populations that are not yet connected are located in the most remote and hard-to-reach areas, and difficulties in transitioning from simple to regular and simple access.

To achieve a fully connected global population, the organization advocates for “more investment in digital networks and technologies, regulation and best exemplary education.”