Although mobile phone usage is steadily rising across different age groups in the country, not everyone has achieved ownership yet.
Mobile phones have grown increasingly essential for daily communication and activities.
They have even become a constant companion for children as young as five, while older adults are also spending more time on their phones to combat loneliness.
Overall, the rate of mobile phone users in the country has risen to nearly 90%.
However, only 66% of the population owns a personal mobile phone.
This picture emerged from the fourth-quarter report (April–June 2026) of the "ICT Application and Usage Survey 2025–26" conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS).
These statistics are also utilized as indicators for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The report highlights that alongside the growth in overall mobile usage, personal ownership rates are also increasing.
According to the data, over the past year, the usage rate rose by 1.4 percentage points, and the ownership rate increased by 1.4 percentage points as well.
In the fourth quarter of FY25, 88.2% of people used a mobile phone, which increased to 89.6% in the same period of FY26.
This means nearly 90 out of every 100 people are now mobile phone users.
Similarly, around 66 out of 100 people own their own mobile phone, with the ownership rate climbing from 64.2% to 65.6% during the same timeframe.
Among mobile users, household smartphone adoption has also expanded—rising from 74.8% previously to 75.1%.
Today, three out of four households have at least one member with a smartphone.
On the other hand, landline telephone usage has declined, dropping from 0.9% of households in FY25 to 0.7%.
Significant progress was noted in individual internet usage.
The report indicates a 4.2 percentage point increase in internet usage among individuals aged five and above, growing from 55% in the previous year to 59.2%.
However, internet penetration at the household level saw a slight decline—falling from 59.7% to 58.2%, marking a 1.5 percentage point drop over the year.
Meanwhile, individual computer usage saw a marginal increase of 0.2 percentage points, though household computer ownership decreased by 0.1 percentage points.
Additionally, the latest survey reveals that 98.6% of households have electricity connections, 60.1% have a television, and 15.3% own a radio.
For the Q4 FY26 survey, BBS gathered field-level data using the computer-assisted personal interviewing (Capi) method, surveying individuals aged 5 years and older.