Mobile phone use reaches 89.6% in Bangladesh: BBS

Mobile phone and internet use continued to rise in Bangladesh in April-June 2026, while computer use remained relatively low, according to the latest Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) survey.

The ICT access and use survey 2025-26 found that 89.6 per cent of people aged five and above used a mobile phone in the fourth quarter, up from 88.2 per cent a year earlier. Internet use rose to 59.2 per cent from 55 per cent.

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Mobile phones dominate

Mobile phone access remained widespread at the household level, with 99 percent of households reporting access to a mobile phone in April-June 2026. 

Smartphone access rose to 75.1 per cent of households in the fourth quarter of 2025-26, compared with 74.8 percent a year earlier. The figure dipped to 72.4 per cent in the first quarter before rising to 73.0 per cent in the second, 73.4 per cent in the third and 75.1 per cent in the fourth. 

Mobile ownership also increased, with 65.6 per cent of people aged five and above owning a phone, up from 64.2 per cent a year earlier. 

The survey also points to the limited use of fixed-line connections. The proportion of households with fixed phones fell from 0.9 percent a year earlier to 0.7 percent in the latest quarter. 

Internet use rises

Individual internet use recorded a stronger increase than household internet access. The proportion of people aged five and above using the internet rose to 59.2 percent in April-June 2026, from 55 percent in the same quarter of 2025.

Household internet access, however, followed a different pattern. It reached 58.2 per cent in the latest quarter, up from 56.2 per cent in the first quarter and 57.4 per cent in the third quarter of 2025-26. On a year-on-year basis, though, the household figure was lower. In the fourth quarter of 2024-25, 59.7 per cent of households reported having internet access.

Computer use remains limited

Only 11.8 per cent of people used a computer in the fourth quarter, up marginally from 11.6 per cent a year earlier. At the household level, computer access edged down to 9.1 per cent from 9.2 per cent.

The survey covers 61,632 households in each quarterly round across 2,568 sample areas and all 64 districts. According to the BBS, it is designed to provide district-level ICT data and track relevant Sustainable Development Goal indicators.