The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) latest statistics published today in The World in 2010: ICT facts and figures reveal that the number of Internet users worldwide doubled in the past five years and will surpass the two billion mark in 2010.

The number of people with access to the Internet at home has increased from 1.4 billion in 2009 to almost 1.6 billion in 2010. 162 million of the 226 million new Internet users in 2010 will be from developing countries, where Internet users grow at a higher rate.

Mobile telephony is becoming ubiquitous, with access to mobile networks now available to over 90% of the global population. ITU’s new data indicate that among the estimated 5.3 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2010, 3.8 billion will be in the developing world. Regional differences are significant: 65% of Europeans are on the Internet, compared to only 9.6% of Africans.

In the developing world, mobile cellular penetration rates will reach 68% at the end
of 2010, mainly driven by the Asia and Pacific region. India and China alone are expected to add over 300 million mobile subscriptions in 2010. In the African region, penetration rates will reach an estimated 41% at the end of 2010 (compared to 76% globally).

Adapted from materials provided by the ITU