More than half of Bangladeshi households now have internet access, reflecting the country's steady digital transformation, according to the latest quarterly Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Survey by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
The survey found that 57.4% of households had internet access during the January-March 2026 quarter, up from 55.1% recorded in the annual estimate for FY2024-25. Internet use among people aged five and above also rose to 58.6%, while household smartphone ownership increased to 73.4%.
The findings suggest digital connectivity continues to expand across Bangladesh, driven by growing internet adoption and wider access to smartphones and computers.
According to the report, internet usage has maintained an upward trend throughout the current fiscal year.
Among people aged five and above, internet use rose from 48.9% in the first quarter (July-September 2025) to 58.4% in the second quarter (October-December 2025), before edging up to 58.6% in the third quarter.
Household internet access followed a similar trajectory, increasing from 55.1% in the previous fiscal year's annual estimate to 57.4% in the latest quarter.
The figures point to continued growth in digital services, supported by rising smartphone adoption and greater reliance on online platforms for communication, education, financial services and commerce.
Despite the overall expansion in digital connectivity, the survey recorded a marginal decline in personal mobile phone ownership.
The share of individuals owning a mobile phone slipped to 65.4% in the third quarter from 65.5% in the previous quarter, although it remained well above the 56.5% recorded in the first quarter.
Overall mobile phone usage—including shared access to phones—continued to edge upward, reaching 89.5%, compared with 89.4% in the previous quarter.
The data indicate that while personal ownership has largely stabilised, access to mobile communication is now nearly universal through both personal and shared devices.
Computer use also continued its gradual rise. The proportion of individuals using computers increased to 11.7% in the January-March quarter, compared with 11.4% in the previous quarter and 10% in the first quarter of the fiscal year.
At the household level, mobile phone ownership is almost universal, with 98.9% of households owning at least one mobile phone. Smartphone ownership also climbed steadily, rising from 72.7% in FY2024-25 to 73.4% in the latest quarter.
Meanwhile, landline telephone use continued its long-term decline, with only 0.7% of households reporting a landline, down from 0.8% a year earlier. The survey found that 98.2% of households now rely exclusively on mobile phones as their primary means of communication.
Ownership of traditional media devices, including televisions and radios, remained largely unchanged during the quarter.
Electricity access, however, slipped slightly, with household electricity coverage falling from 98.9% in the first quarter to 98.5% in the third quarter.
The quarterly ICT survey collected information from 2,568 sample areas nationwide.
BBS interviewed 61,632 households each quarter, totaling 246,528 households annually, with data collected by 214 trained enumerators.
According to the statistical agency, this is its second district-representative large-scale ICT survey since 2013.
BBS said the quarterly findings will be consolidated into a comprehensive annual report. The data will contribute to 22 ICT indicators monitored by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and support Bangladesh's progress in tracking the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The latest findings suggest Bangladesh's digital ecosystem continues to strengthen, with rising internet access and smartphone adoption accelerating the country's transition to a more digitally connected economy.