Internet access grows in Q4, but gaps between genders remain

Internet access showed measurable growth in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, according to the latest ICT Access and Use Survey 2024-25 conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

However, there were persistent and significant disparities between urban and rural households, as well as between men and women, highlighting areas requiring targeted policy intervention.

Internet access in households increased from 57.3 percent in Q3 to 59.2 percent in Q4. This growth was driven largely by rural areas, where internet adoption jumped from 54 percent to 56.4 percent, while urban areas saw a more modest increase from 64.8 percent to 65.4 percent. The data confirm that the digital divide between rural and urban regions, though narrowing slightly, remains significant.

The gender gap in internet usage is also prominent. Among individuals, 52.9 percent of men used the internet compared to only 44.4 percent of women—a difference of 8.5 percentage points. This disparity is even more pronounced in mobile phone ownership: 72.7 percent of men owned a mobile device versus 57.2 percent of women.

Other technology indicators show steady progress. Smartphone ownership rose from 74.1 percent to 74.9 percent of households between Q3 and Q4. Mobile phone penetration remains nearly universal at 99 percent, though fixed-line phones are increasingly rare at just 0.9 percent. Computer access saw a slight uptick from 9.2 percent to 9.4 percent, with a stark urban-rural divide: 21.9 percent in urban areas compared to only 3.7 percent in rural zones.

Television access held steady at 65.8 percent, while radio usage saw a small increase from 15.6 percent to 16.1 percent. Electricity access remains high and stable at 98.4 percent.

These figures highlight some progress in digital inclusion, but also underscore persistent inequalities—particularly between men and women and between urban and rural communities, said Fahim Mashroor, CEO of bdjobs.com.

"Closing these gaps remains essential for equitable digital development," he said.