Internet_World_IBT
This chart shows the number of individuals using the internet between 2004 and 2018 (in millions). IBT/Statista

More than half of the world’s population will be online, according to new estimates released by the International Telecommunication Union. The U.N. estimates that about 3.9 billion users are set to go online as 2018 comes to a close.

Accelerating growth across the many nations in Africa are responsible for this continued uptick. In 2005, only 2 percent of people in Africa used the internet. As of 2018, about a quarter of people in Africa used the internet. Between 2005 and 2018, about 4 times more people across the world are on the internet.