The Great Connection
Individuals using the internet as a share of population, six major economies, 2000 to today
- Unit
- % of population
- Frequency
- Annual
- Coverage
- 2000–2025
- Evidence Quality
- High
Internet users as a share of population — a digital gap of 2000 almost closed, China caught up, India closing fast.
World Bank WDI · Individuals using the Internet (% of population) · IT.NET.USER.ZS
Line chart, 2000 to 2025. Internet users (% of population). 6 series: United States, China, India, Germany, Japan and Brazil. India is highlighted; its latest reading is 70% in 2025.
Question
How fast did the world get online — and has the digital gap closed?
Evidence
The share of people using the internet is the clearest gauge of how connected a society is. In 2000 it split the world sharply: the US, Germany, and Japan were already 30–43% online, while China, India, and Brazil were near zero. A single generation later the gap has largely closed. China leapt from under 2% to over 90%, and Brazil to the mid-80s. India, starting from 0.5%, has reached about 70% — the last of the six to connect, and still climbing.
Observation
Read level, slope and timing together.
Reaching the internet is not the same as using it fully — coverage says nothing about speed, cost, or what people can do once online.
Assessment
- China's leap is the standout: from under 2% to over 90%, essentially catching the advanced economies.
- India is the laggard-but-closing: from 0.5% to ~70%, hundreds of millions coming online in a decade.
- The advanced economies, already connected in 2000, converged near saturation in the low-to-mid 90s.
Advantage
- How productive is the workforce?Output per Worker
- How rich is it per person?The Income Gap
- How urban is the population?Into the Cities