Urban-rural internet usage gap of 32%, BBS survey shows

PNN News Desk. Dhaka

There is still a significant disparity in internet usage between rural and urban areas in Bangladesh. The latest survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) shows that rural areas lag far behind cities in internet usage.

According to the survey, 75.7% of people in urban areas use the internet, while only 43.6% do so in rural areas. This means the gap stands at 32.1 percentage points, highlighting a major challenge in digital inclusion.

The report was published on Thursday at the BBS office in Agargaon, Dhaka, under the project “Measurement of ICT Usage Opportunities and Application.”

It also says that 53.4% of the total population uses the internet. Mobile phone usage is much higher, at about 88.4%, while only 64.4% of people own personal mobile phones.

Computer usage remains low at only 11.3%, which experts say indicates a gap in digital skills and technological capability.

High internet costs were cited as a major barrier by 43.6% of respondents, who said expensive data discourages many from going online.

District-level differences were also observed, with Dhaka having the highest internet usage and Panchagarh the lowest. Dhaka also leads in computer usage, while Thakurgaon has the lowest rate.

Behavioral analysis shows that in the last three months, 64.4% of internet users searched for job information. About 49.8% searched for sports-related content, while only 11.6% engaged in online shopping.

Cybersecurity awareness has also shown some improvement. About 78.5% of respondents said they can respond quickly in case of cyberattacks, while 50.5% still consider viruses and malware a major threat.

The BBS survey highlights that although internet usage is increasing in the country, equal access, affordable services, and skill development remain major challenges.