56.2 per cent of households now have internet access, up from 43.6 per cent in 2023, bringing millions of families online within just two years, according to the latest ICT Access and Use Survey of the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The survey, conducted between July and September 2025 across 61,632 households and about 246,000 individuals in all 64 districts, offers a detailed snapshot of a country undergoing a digital transition.
At the household level, connectivity is increasingly mobile-driven, with smartphone ownership rising to 72.4 per cent from 63.3 per cent in 2023, reinforcing handheld devices as the primary gateway to the internet.
At the same time, traditional television ownership continued to decline, falling to 58.9 per cent from 62.2 per cent, reflecting a gradual shift away from legacy media as digital platforms gain ground.
Despite the overall momentum, access remains uneven across geography, with urban household internet access reaching 64.0 per cent compared with 51.5 per cent in rural areas, leaving a persistent gap between cities and villages.
Smartphone penetration follows the same pattern, rising to 80.8 per cent in urban households while standing at 68.8 per cent in rural ones.
Computer ownership remains limited nationwide, particularly outside cities, with only 3.7 per cent of rural households and 9.1 per cent of urban households owning a computer, while the national rate edged up only marginally to 9.1 per cent over two years.
Electricity access, however, is no longer a major constraint, with coverage reaching 98.8 per cent in rural areas and 99.4 per cent in urban households, giving most families the basic infrastructure needed to use digital services.
Beyond households, individual engagement with technology is also expanding, as 48.9 per cent of Bangladeshis reported using the internet, up from 44.5 per cent in 2023, suggesting online activity is spreading beyond early adopters.
Personal mobile phone ownership, however, declined to 56.5 per cent from 63.8 per cent, pointing to a growing reliance on shared devices within households rather than individual ownership.
Gender gaps persist across nearly all indicators, with internet use at 51.2 per cent among men compared with 46.3 per cent among women, and mobile phone ownership at 63.2 per cent for men versus 52.8 per cent for women.
Computer use shows a similar divide, standing at 11.9 per cent among men and 8.2 per cent among women nationwide, highlighting barriers that continue to limit women’s participation in the digital space.
Overall, the survey portrays a country moving rapidly toward a mobile-first, internet-enabled society, driven by rising household connectivity and smartphone adoption.
At the same time, it underscores unresolved challenges, including urban–rural disparities, gender gaps, limited computer use and growing dependence on shared devices, while experts suggest more target-oriented measures.
