Mobile phone ownership lower now than in 2020

The percentage of individuals aged over 15 who own a mobile phone was lower in 2023 than in 2020 as the decline in ownership during the Covid-19 pandemic persisted due to grim economic conditions.

Only 74.2 percent of those aged over 15 owned a mobile phone in 2023, a slight decrease from 75.4 percent in 2020, according to the Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics, a project run by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

At the height of the pandemic in 2021, mobile phone ownership among such individuals dropped by 4.1 percentage points to 71.3 percent, before increasing by 2.5 percentage points in 2022.

However, it rose only 0.4 percentage points last year as the nation was gripped by persistently high inflation.

"The majority of people in Bangladesh belong to the middle or lower-middle class, with monthly incomes below Tk 25,000. Economic uncertainty during and after the Covid-19 pandemic has left them with little disposable income, hindering their ability to afford important, if not essential, items like mobile phones," said Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director at Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).

"These groups suffered job losses, business closures, and had to migrate to villages due to sustained inflation," said the economist.

He added that the absolute number of mobile phone owners may match pre-pandemic levels, but the relative number might not considering the increase in population during this period.

"Providing mobile phones to this population requires extra initiatives, such as offering them at low or subsidised prices."

Another notable finding was that a significant gender gap in mobile phone usage had emerged in 2023.

Among males, 86 percent reported owning a mobile phone, while only 62.8 percent of females reported the same.

This discrepancy, which amounts to 23.2 percentage points, underscores a significant disparity in access to mobile technology among the genders.

The findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to address factors contributing to this gap and to ensure equitable access to mobile communication devices across all demographics.

The gender gap was also observed in urban areas in 2023, with 82 percent of males and 71.6 percent of females owning mobile phones. This equates to a 10.4 percentage point difference, emphasising the disparity between genders in urban settings.

Shahed Alam, Robi's chief corporate and regulatory officer, said that apart from economic factors, the number of mobile phone users had nearly reached a saturation point.

"There are around 11 million unique subscribers in the country. We have reached near saturation, though not entirely. Thus, some market slowdowns were observed," he said.

Although there was substantial growth in the number of internet users in Bangladesh last year, the digital gap persisted, with rural-urban disparities in terms of internet access and the gender divide amplifying technological inequalities.

The number of internet users increased by 4.7 percentage points year-on-year to 41 percent for people aged above 15 in 2023.

About 51.9 percent of men had internet access in 2023 whereas only 39.7 percent of women could say the same, underscoring gender inequality in the digital landscape.

Syed Almas Kabir, former president of the Bangladesh Association of Software & Information Services (BASIS), said women have been displaying strong performance in online-based business, especially in e-commerce.

"They are selling products from villages. If the government can facilitate smooth internet services for them and ensure more women have internet access, it will revolutionise women's progress in the rural areas," he said.

In rural areas, 42.1 percent people had internet access in 2023, up from 37.1 percent a year earlier. Among them, 48.5 percent of males had internet access, a privilege enjoyed by only 35.9 percent of females.