Internet users in India 2026
India with a population of 1.42 billion, is the largest country in the world and is likely to have 1100 million active Internet users by 2026, as against 622 million users as of 2020, registering a growth of about 60 percent over the next five years. India has 1,002.85 million internet subscribers as of April–June 2025. Rural internet penetration stands at approximately 46 subscribers per 100 population.
According to a report by the Press Information Bureau of India, there were 1002 million Internet users in India in 2025. India’s internet penetration rate stood at 58.0 percent of the total population at the start of 2024. As of April–June 2025, rural internet penetration was approximately 46 subscribers per 100 people, compared to higher rates in urban areas.
Internet Users in India
| Total Internet Users | 1002.85 million |
| Rural | 419 Million |
| Urban | 583 million |
| Average usage per day | 1.5 hours |
Internet Usage Distribution Across Different Categories of Online Services
| Internet Usage | Percent |
| OTT Services | 86% |
| Communication | 76% |
| Social Media | 70% |
| Gaming | 53% |
Preferred payment method for Online Shopping
| Payment method | Percent |
| Cash on Delivery | 26% |
| Digital Payment | 71% |
Sources: Internet and Mobile Association of India
As per the NFHS report, there were 626 million internet users in India in January 2022. Among the Larger States, Kerala has the highest percentage of Internet users followed by Punjab & Haryana. In smaller states & UTs Chandigarh has the highest percentage followed by Goa and Sikkim.
Internet use amongst adult women (15 years & above) is at 33.9%, and for adult men (15 years & above) is at 57.1%. The report suggests that even though the Internet penetration in urban is twice more than that of rural ones, users in rural areas have been growing at a faster rate on a year-on-year basis.
List of Internet users by Indian States and Union Territories
| # | States and UTs | Women User (%) | Men User (%) |
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar | 34.8 | 46.5 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 21 | 48.8 |
| 3 | Arunachal | 52.9 | 71.6 |
| 4 | Assam | 28.2 | 42.3 |
| 5 | Bihar | 20.6 | 43.6 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 75.2 | 91.9 |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 26.7 | 56.3 |
| 8 | Dadra and Daman | 36.7 | 68.3 |
| 9 | Goa | 73.7 | 82.9 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 30.8 | 58.9 |
| 11 | Haryana | 48.4 | 72.4 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | 49.7 | 67.9 |
| 13 | Jammu & Kashmir | 43.3 | 72 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 31.4 | 58 |
| 15 | Karnataka | 35 | 62.4 |
| 16 | Kerala | 61.1 | 76.1 |
| 17 | Ladakh | 56.4 | 67.8 |
| 18 | Lakshadweep | 56.4 | 80.3 |
| 19 | Madhya Pradesh | 26.9 | 55.7 |
| 20 | Maharashtra | 38 | 61.5 |
| 21 | Manipur | 44.8 | 73.9 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 34.7 | 42.1 |
| 23 | Mizoram | 67.6 | 79.7 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 49.9 | 64.6 |
| 25 | NCT Delhi | 63.8 | 85.2 |
| 26 | Odisha | 24.9 | 50.7 |
| 27 | Puducherry | 61.9 | 80.7 |
| 28 | Punjab | 54.8 | 78.2 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 36.9 | 65.2 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 76.7 | 78.2 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 46.9 | 70.2 |
| 32 | Telangana | 26.5 | 57.4 |
| 33 | Tripura | 22.9 | 45.7 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 30.6 | 59.1 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 45.1 | 74.6 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 25.5 | 46.7 |
| India | 33.3 | 57.1 |
Source: NFHS (National Family Health Survey-5)
Internet uses in Urban India
In Urban India, 51.8% of women and 72.5% of men are Interner users. The North-Eastern States, Himachal, Chandigarh, Goa, Delhi, and Punjab have the highest percentage of Internet users in Urban India.
Bihar, Odisha, and Telangana have the lower percentage of Internet users in Urban India. Let’s look at the Urban India Women and Men Internet Users by States and UTs
| # | States & UTs | Urban women (%) | Urban Men (%) |
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar | 44.1 | 54.6 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 33.9 | 65.1 |
| 3 | Arunachal | 70 | 86.9 |
| 4 | Assam | 49 | 67.4 |
| 5 | Bihar | 38.4 | 58.4 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | 75.2 | 91.9 |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 44.5 | 75.4 |
| 8 | Dadra and Daman | 49.4 | 76.2 |
| 9 | Goa | 78.1 | 86.1 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 48.9 | 72.9 |
| 11 | Haryana | 60.2 | 79.7 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | 78.9 | 83.7 |
| 13 | Jammu & Kashmir | 55 | 79.4 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 57.8 | 70.8 |
| 15 | Karnataka | 50.1 | 71.5 |
| 16 | Kerala | 64.9 | 78.3 |
| 17 | Ladakh | 66.5 | 82.9 |
| 18 | Lakshadweep | 61.8 | 81.5 |
| 19 | Madhya Pradesh | 46.5 | 72.7 |
| 20 | Maharashtra | 54.3 | 76.8 |
| 21 | Manipur | 50.8 | 81.5 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 57.8 | 59.2 |
| 23 | Mizoram | 83.8 | 92.7 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 66.5 | 81 |
| 25 | NCT Delhi | 63.7 | 85.1 |
| 26 | Odisha | 39.7 | 64.2 |
| 27 | Puducherry | 66.9 | 85.1 |
| 28 | Punjab | 64.1 | 85.6 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 56.1 | 81.7 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 90 | 94.2 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 55.8 | 76.1 |
| 32 | Telangana | 43.9 | 72.3 |
| 33 | Tripura | 36.3 | 47 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 50.2 | 72.4 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 58.4 | 82.1 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 48.1 | 64.6 |
| India | 51.8 | 72.5 |
Source: NFHS (National Family Health Survey-5)
Internet uses in Rural India
In Rural India, 24.6% of women and 48.7% of men are Interner users. Delhi, Kerala, Punjab, Himachal, Haryana, and NE states have the highest percentage of Internet users in Rural India.
West Bengal. Bihar, Andhra, and Telangana have the lower percentage of Internet users in Rural India. Let’s look at the Urban India Women and Men Internet Users by States and UTs
| # | States & Uts | Rural Women (%) | Rural Men (%) |
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar | 27.9 | 41.1 |
| 2 | Andhra Pradesh | 15.4 | 41.5 |
| 3 | Arunachal | 49.6 | 68.5 |
| 4 | Assam | 24.4 | 37.8 |
| 5 | Bihar | 17 | 39.4 |
| 6 | Chandigarh | – | – |
| 7 | Chhattisgarh | 20.8 | 50.4 |
| 8 | Dadra and Daman | 23.8 | 61.3 |
| 9 | Goa | 68.3 | 76.6 |
| 10 | Gujarat | 17.5 | 48 |
| 11 | Haryana | 42.8 | 68.8 |
| 12 | Himachal Pradesh | 45.2 | 65.1 |
| 13 | Jammu & Kashmir | 38.9 | 68.8 |
| 14 | Jharkhand | 22.7 | 53.2 |
| 15 | Karnataka | 24.8 | 55.6 |
| 16 | Kerala | 57.5 | 74.2 |
| 17 | Ladakh | 54 | 64.3 |
| 18 | Lakshadweep | 36 | 77 |
| 19 | Madhya Pradesh | 20.1 | 49.3 |
| 20 | Maharashtra | 23.7 | 47.2 |
| 21 | Manipur | 40.4 | 68.2 |
| 22 | Meghalaya | 28 | 38.5 |
| 23 | Mizoram | 48 | 63.9 |
| 24 | Nagaland | 40.3 | 55.2 |
| 25 | NCT Delhi | 69.2 | 87.4 |
| 26 | Odisha | 21.3 | 47.2 |
| 27 | Puducherry | 50.4 | 69.4 |
| 28 | Punjab | 48.8 | 73 |
| 29 | Rajasthan | 30.8 | 59.4 |
| 30 | Sikkim | 68.1 | 69.5 |
| 31 | Tamil Nadu | 39.2 | 64.9 |
| 32 | Telangana | 15.8 | 46.7 |
| 33 | Tripura | 17.7 | 45.2 |
| 34 | Uttar Pradesh | 24.5 | 54.2 |
| 35 | Uttarakhand | 39.4 | 71.2 |
| 36 | West Bengal | 14 | 38.3 |
| India | 24.6 | 48.7 |
Source: NFHS (National Family Health Survey-5)