UPDATE
In answer to Jean's definition question, I first looked at the
from which Statista got their infographic, (which did not have the total definition)
and finally at the
which was the source of the data.
Their summary and definition are below
Electronics are highly energy and resource-intensive to produce. From mining raw materials to manufacturing and shipping the finished products, to charging them during use and finally to disposing of them, each item leaves its mark on the Earth. And while recycling efforts are improving, as well as policies to make such processes more efficient and sustainable, the ever-growing demand for electronics is proving hard to keep up with in terms of protecting the environment.
Data from the Digital Economy Report 2024 published by the UN Trade and Development shows that this rising demand isn’t simply a case of more people buying electronic devices worldwide, but also that the average number of devices per consumer is increasing. As the following chart shows, the average number of devices owned per capita worldwide rose from 2.4 to 3.6 between 2018 and 2023.
You will find more infographics at StatistaWhen looking at a regional breakdown, it’s clear that this growth is unequal, with people in the Global North not only owning the most devices, but seeing the biggest increases in the number of devices owned. For example, in North America, the average person owned around 8 devices in 2018 but 13 in 2023 (up 63 percent over just five years), while in Western Europe the figure rose from 5.6 in 2018 to 9.4 in 2023 (an increase of 68 percent). By contrast, in the Middle East and Africa it was 1.1 device per capita in 2018 and 1.5 as of 2023 (36 percent increase).
According to the report, Internet of Things devices, such as connected vehicles, sensors, consumer electronics and wearables, will be an important area for growth in the future. These IoT devices surpassed those of conventional devices (personal computer, tablet, mobile and fixed telephone) for the first time in 2021, with forecasts anticipating the average number of IoT devices to grow from 16 billion in 2023 to 39 billion in 2029.
Analysts also highlight that although the total number of devices has increased, overall energy consumption associated with their use (not production) has been relatively stable. This is largely due to a shift towards smaller, more energy-efficient devices (from desktop computers to laptops, tablets and smartphones), as well as the shift to more energy-efficient screens
CISCO ANNUAL INTERNET REPORT
Executive summary
The Cisco Annual Internet Report is a global forecast/analysis that assesses digital transformation across various business segments (enterprise, small-to-medium business, public sector, and service provider). The report covers fixed broadband, Wi-Fi, and mobile (3G, 4G, 5G) networking. Quantitative projections are provided on the growth of Internet users, devices and connections as well as network performance and new application requirements.
Qualitative analyses and assessments are also provided in four strategic areas: Applications, security, infrastructure transformation, and empowering employees and teams.
Global Internet adoption and devices and connection
Internet users
Nearly two-thirds of the global population will have Internet access by 2023. There will be 5.3 billion total Internet users (66 percent of global population) by 2023, up from 3.9 billion (51 percent of global population) in 2018.
Devices and connections
The number of devices connected to IP networks will be more than three times the global population by 2023. There will be 3.6 networked devices per capita by 2023, up from 2.4 networked devices per capita in 2018. There will be 29.3 billion networked devices by 2023, up from 18.4 billion in 2018. M2M connections will be half of the global connected devices and connections by 2023. The share of Machine-To-Machine (M2M) connections will grow from 33 percent in 2018 to 50 percent by 2023. There will be 14.7 billion M2M connections by 2023.
The consumer segment will have nearly three-fourths share of total devices and connections by 2023. Globally, consumer segment’s share of total devices and connections will be 74 percent, with the business segment claiming the remaining 26 percent.
Internet of Things (IoT) by application
Within the M2M connections category (which is also referred to as IoT), connected home applications will have the largest share and connected car will be the fastest growing application type. Connected home applications will have nearly half or 48 percent of M2M share by 2023 and Connected car applications will grow the fastest at 30 percent CAGR over the forecast period (2018–2023)
(The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is the mean annual growth rate of an investment over a period longer than one year. It's one of the most accurate ways to calculate and determine returns for individual assets, investment portfolios, and anything that can rise or fall in value over time.)
B. Shifts in mix of devices and connections
Globally, devices and connections are growing faster (10 percent CAGR) than both the population (1.0 percent CAGR) and the Internet users (6 percent CAGR). This trend is accelerating the increase in the average number of devices and connections per household and per capita. Each year, various new devices in different form factors with increased
capabilities and intelligence are introduced and adopted in the market.
A growing number of M2M applications, such as smart meters, video surveillance, healthcare monitoring, transportation, and package or asset tracking, are contributing in a major way to the growth of devices and connections. By 2023, M2M connections will be half or 50 percent of the total devices and connections.
M2M connections will be the fastest-growing device and connections category, growing nearly 2.4-fold during the forecast period (19 percent CAGR) to 14.7 billion connections by 2023.
Smartphones will grow the second fastest, at a 7 percent CAGR (increasing by a factor of 1.4). Connected TVs (which include flat-panel TVs, set-top boxes, digital media adapters [DMAs], Blu-ray disc players, and gaming consoles) will grow next fastest (at a little less than a 6 percent CAGR), to 3.2 billion by 2023.
PCs will continue to decline (a 2.3 percent decline) over the forecast period. However, there will more PCs than tablets throughout the forecast period and by the end of 2023 (1.2 billion PCs vs. 840 million tablets).
By 2023, the consumer share of the total devices, including both fixed and mobile devices, will be 74 percent, with business claiming the remaining 26 percent. Consumer share will grow at a slightly slower rate, at a 9.1 percent CAGR relative to the business segment, which will grow at a 12.0 percent CAGR
It is important to track the changing mix of devices and connections and growth in multidevice ownership as it affects traffic patterns.
Video devices, in particular, can have a multiplier effect on traffic. An Internet-enabled HD television that draws couple - three hours of content per day from the Internet would generate as much Internet traffic as an entire household today, on an average.
Video effect of the devices on traffic is more pronounced because of the introduction of Ultra-High-Definition (UHD), or 4K, video streaming. This technology has such an effect because the bit rate for 4K video at about 15 to 18 Mbps is more than double the HD video bit rate and nine times more than Standard-Definition (SD) video bit rate.
We estimate that by 2023, two-thirds (66 percent) of the installed flat-panel TV sets will be UHD, up from 33 percent in 2018 (Figure 3)
C. M2M applications across many industries accelerate IoT growth
Internet of Things (IoT) have become a prevalent system in which people, processes, data, and things connect to the
Internet and each other. Globally, M2M connections will grow 2.4-fold, from 6.1 billion in 2018 to 14.7 billion by 2023
(Figure 4). There will be 1.8 M2M connections for each member of the global population by 2023
Connected home applications, such as home automation, home security and video surveillance, connected white goods, and tracking applications, will represent 48 percent, or nearly half, of the total M2M connections by 2023, showing the pervasiveness of M2M in our lives (Figure 5). percent CAGR
While traditionally the traffic from M2M connections has been less than that from the end user devices such as smartphones, TV sets and PCs, we estimate that the amount of traffic is growing faster than the number of connections because of the increase of deployment of video applications on M2M connections and the increased use of applications, such as telemedicine and smart car navigation systems, which require greater bandwidth and lower latencY.
I have three desktops (office, great room, treadmill), one laptop (basement) one tablet, and two smartphones. That adds up to seven.''
ReplyDeleteI have two smartphones because I kept my iphone6plus (ancient by current standards) when I upgraded to a current model. The old i-phone was not worth anything to anyone else but it has some programs on it which the new i-phone does not.
Of course, I also have two desktops, and two laptop computers which are no longer connected to the internet. They are the last generation of my computer network; all functional with monitors and printers.
Microsoft has started to remind me that my current computer network will become non-supported in October 2025. Only one of those computers can be upgraded to Windows 11. All those computers have programs that do not exist or will not be supported on the Windows 11 network.
I think there is something out there call an intranet that enables one to put all these old computers into a network but not connect it to the internet.
I also have a huge CD collection of liturgical music that has become obsolete because most everything is on YouTube and other streaming services. I am thinking of loading my CDs onto my computers so that I can have an internet free music station in every room in my house. Eventually I could give them away to people who like liturgical music along with my liturgical music record collection and player. In the meantime, I will be safe if the internet ever goes down.
Unfortunately, every time new computers come out the printers and the monitors to the old computers do not work with the new computers. So, I have several printers around that only function with their computers. Sometimes a old monitor will work with an older computer, such as a desktop monitor with a laptop. I like the combination of laptop with an extra monitor.
DeleteI suppose we do have a lot of electronic stuff. But most of it is old, like 5 years plus. Our PC is probably close to 10 years. We had to take it in to be de-bugged twice. It's slower than molasses. I anticipate the blue screen of death at some point. I'm on my 3rd Kindle since 2012. Still have the old ones because nobody else wants them. Had a cute little phone with a slide-out keyboard, it fit in my pocket. But it isn't a smart phone. My smart phone is five years old, an LG one. LG doesn't make phones anymore. Still have the little phone because nobody wants it. I miss the small size that fit in my pocket.
DeleteWe have a bunch of CDs, they're not going anywhere because they're bought and paid for. And nobody else wants them. Keeping our player too.
The things I use most on my cell phone are texting and calls, the camera, the timer, and the calculator. Not that happy with the camera but it will do for now.
We probably do have too much electronic garbage. Mostly none of it is optimal but will do in a pinch. Most electronics are antiques in under a decade. It's planned obsolescence on steroids.
We have two TV sets, one in the family room and an ancient one in the basement. Two laptops - one for me and one for my husband. Both old and needing upgrades.Two printers - one is a laser printer. One oversized monitor which my husband uses. Three iPads - my husbands, my internet-required iPad for reading, and my smaller mobile iPad that works on cellular. Two active iPhones. A bunch of dead phones at home waiting to be donated. A CD player, a record player, a bunch of CDs but in the dozens, not the thousands like Jack, and a couple of hundred “vinyl” which is apparently how records are referred to these days. A VHS player, a few VHS tapes left, DVD player and a few DVDs too, which we did watch before my husband fell and we abruptly moved to California.
DeleteI’m in the midst of planning our return to Maryland in early September. Lots of moving parts. I am feeling a bit overwhelmed and stressed and depressed again trying to make this complicated move happen. Prayers always welcome!
Anne, sending prayers for your move. I'm sure you are looking forward to being back in your own home! But like you say, lots of moving parts
DeleteHow are we defining these things?
ReplyDeleteKindle, Kindle Fire, phones x2, TV, digital camera, computer and printer, digital blood pressure cuff, digital oximeter, digital thermometer, digital thermostat, the kitten-cam (that camera that comes on when the car is in reverse so you don't run over small children and pets), and digital humidity/thermometer.
Do I count the stove and coffee maker with digital displays? The CD player that came with the car? The DVD player? All the physical DVD movies and thumb drives?
Some of these items had analogue counterparts, so I don't see them as adding to our overall pile of junk, just that you can't get analog counterparts any more. Like when I asked for a manual transmission on our last car and the salesboy laughed because he thought I was joking. (No, Justin, I was serious as a heart attack. You used to be able to save $1,000 on a new car if you bought a stick.)
Most of our gizmos are more than 10 years old except the phones, and I would have no problem losing them to attrition.
I also have a digital pedometer and Raber has a digital alarm clock.
DeleteI don't see "electronic" (for ex a plug in radio with twisty dial) as the same as "digital." And "digital" (something with a numerical display screen) is not the same as a device that requires Internet connectivity in order to share info outside of a closed system.
Or are we looking at things that require some type of chip to function?
Good question. I think they are classifying as devices those things which have an external connection to the world such as desktops, laptops, pads, phones, Television.
DeleteThat probably does not include devices which are connected to other devices even if those devices are connected to the internet such as your printer which is connected to your computer e.g. by WIFI unless it is connected to a fax line. My two printers like most are connectable to a fax line but I have never connected them. I have two MIO watches which monitor my heart rate and are connected to my old iphone but not my new one.
So, I would have four additional devices if they are counting these. I think they would probably not count my old computers, and monitors which are not connected to anything, not even powered up.
I am not sure whether they would count a second monitor which I have connected to one of my laptops as a separate device.
I did forget one connection which they would count, my old landline. I do not have cable TV which they would count. If you have a pacemaker which send reading regularly to site, they would probably count it as a connected device.
I also have a radio option on my stereo receive which I never use. Right now I use the stereo receiver to amply audio signals from my computer.
Of course, to my stereo receiver is connected to three CD players, and a turntable which I rarely use.
I also have an old clock radio which I use only for a clock. And my land line has five phones which record incoming numbers, and one of which is set to receive messages.
I am pretty sure they are not counting electronic devices unconnected to anything internally or externally, e,g, a microwave oven, electric mixer, toothbrush.
One of the reasons I decided to post this was to see how others handled this question. If I were the researcher, I would probable classify electronic devices as 1) internet connected, 2 intranet connected (to each other or internet devices), 3 unconnected but used devices, and 4) unconnected and unused devices.
Speaking of electronics, over 200,000 homes in Omaha lost power due to a freakish thunderstorm that blew through there Wednesday night, with straight winds up to 92 mph. Our oldest son and daughter in law were among those who were affected. They texted me a little while ago that they just got power restored. They tried to stick it out at home for a couple of days, but finally were able to score a hotel room. They were relying on friends and family who still had power to help them charge their devices, since their phones were their only means to communicate. Everyone had a massive loss of food that they had to throw out, since there had been no electricity for their refrigerators for five days.
ReplyDeleteThe archdiocese chancery building had severe damage, so they will be somewhere else for awhile.
We're only 90 miles away, but only had thunder and a little rain Wednesday night.
It didn't help that everyone was in a week long heat wave with temps in the high 90s.
DeleteThose straight-line winds are awful. We had a bad one about 25 years ago. I woke up and heard it coming. Watched trees blow down the street with a lot of roofs and garbage cans. Over in seconds, but caused a lot of damage. Streets blocked. Power out x 2 days. Glad all your people are safe.
DeleteI currently have a laptop, a phone, and a few tablets I no longer use. My car has not one computer chip but several. I have internet connection all over the place, i.e., my Alexa devices and other internet-connected devices. I can turn on many lights and a space heater by verbal command. I can open and close my garage doors from anywhere in the world. I can visually monitor my house from anywhere in the world. I got started on this years ago when I installed Nestcams in my mother's house in the living room/dining room area and upstairs hallway. Once I actually saw my aunt had fallen and could not get up and my mother couldn't get her up. I drove two hours to help her up after calling to tell my mother I was on my way. Then it was a necessity but it kind of got me into the whole thing. From a manufacturing standpoint, all these devices require silicon processing. Like solar panels, it has an environmental impact with toxic byproducts that can either be recycled or dumped. From this viewpoint, it doesn't matter if you are connected or not. It's all on silicon chips. While I am immersed in these new technologies, I am becoming more aware of their energy vampire nature. They are always on. This is making me consider dialing back or eliminating them. They also constitute a privacy threat that Orwell couldn't have imagined. I am becoming more skeptical.
ReplyDeleteEverybody here has home surveillance cameras for their doorbells and some for elderly parents. I suggested one for my mom, but she was appalled by the idea. She'd have had to do her drinking in the blind spots.
DeleteI told The Boy he could get a Geezer-Cam if one of us were living alone and could no longer get up from a prone position. I practice safely getting up from lying on the floor every day, something the therapist suggested some years ago at PT. Fortunately my bones are still real good, so hoping to die without a busted hip.
I need to start doing that. Practicing getting up from a prone position, that is.
DeleteNo fair crawling over to the chair. The PT people wouldn't let me try that trick. The idea is to maintain enough strength to get up on your own power.
DeleteSometimes, eventually, there isn't enough physical strength. I was getting ready to make a physically simple device to help them get up. But you can't obviate dementia. You need a person there to help. Looking back, I should have moved both my mother and my aunt in with me at an earlier time. I should have gotten another single-level house. The tough part was getting my mother to accept help. Once she was further gone mentally and my aunt had died, she did actually accept a woman caregiver. Thanks be to God.
DeleteOK, if we're talking about connected devuces, we have two phones, a dying Kindle Fire, a Kindle for reading, the TV, and a computer.
ReplyDeleteIf Raber died, I would keep my phone and reading Kindle, replace the computer/printer and TV with a larger screen lap top, and let the Kindle Fire die. That would give me three connected devices. Unless I needed one of those "panic buttons" to wear around my neck.
I believe there are surveillance cams on the outside of the retirement apts I am vetting, at least on the balconies. But they're not something I bought or use, so not counting them even though I might benefit from crime deterrence they might offer.
What about my bank cards?
When you start thinking about things you have that talk to other things, they add up!
I have a cellphone, 2 laptops (one of which belongs to my employer), a laser printer and a Kindle. My wife has all of the above, except for the laser printer. My son has a cell phone, a computer and goodness knows how many gaming devices. We have a smart meter as of about a month ago.
ReplyDeleteAll in all, I guess we're part of the problem. We could be even worse.
I have the following connected devices:
ReplyDeleteiMac
iPod
(Amazon Alexa) Echo Show, Echo Pop, Echo Dot
Google Pixel 7 phone
Old Redmi phone, no sim card, for apps lik TikTok through my wifi
Smart TV (Roku)
"Land line" (actually works through wifi network)
I control my AC and a lamp either by cellphone or Alexa (voice)
When my internet service is out (which happens very rarely) I lose the Echos, land line, and maybe my cable tv service. The Pixel still works in any way I want it to.
I'm pretty dependent on my Echos. Alexa controls my alarm, so if the internet goes out, I don't know when to wake up, and when I do, I have to fumble around in the dark.
I am trying to learn Spanish, and I am finding Duolingo kind of fun. Chat GPT works miracles
Duolingo is kind of a fun site. I went there out of idle curiosity about Esperanto. It is very easy if you know a romance language.
DeleteI hadn't heard anything about Esperanto in quite a while. I think it was supposed to be kind of a "universal language",_but yeah if you knew Spanish or one of the other Romance languages it would be pretty easy. Or they could just use Latin for a universal language; no one speaks it anymore as their primary language.
DeleteEsperanto has natural noun gender and no irregular verbs. I had a linguistics teacher who was high on it. The movement was a little kooky but good hearted.
DeleteI've been studying that very non-Esperanto language called Polish on Babel. I'm learning words and can recognize sentences but I am not learning the grammar. My initiating Polish is not getting better. I'm thinking of laying down some zloty and joining up with "Polish with Dorota" on the Internet from Poznan. Here's a sample of what Polish is like. When you are talking about one year, you say "rok". When you talk about two to five years, "years" is "lata". When it's six years or higher, "years" is "lat". There are no articles but there are still two genders and neutrality and all the adjectives and nouns morph accordingly through seven cases. I still want to learn it. My ear is tuned to the sounds. When I sit with the money counting team on Sunday afternoon, we wait for the completion of the 2 PM Polish Mass, listening on Facebook.. The other members have commented that it sounds beautiful. I never really thought about it but I have to agree. Maybe it's because I heard it as a child. When my elders talked about me in Polish, they thought I didn't understand it. But I got everything they said. Heh, heh.
DeleteBy the way, I wonder if Noam Chomsky ever did a deep structure analysis of Esperanto, an artificial language.
Seems to be common among second generation: Can't speak it but understand it fine. My friend Penny's mom used to yell at her in Greek, their "family language." She would answer mostly in English. Raber can understand German to some extent once he gets going, but he doesn't speak it like his dad did. I encouraged his dad to speak German to The Boy if he wanted, but he was kind of embarrassed about it.
DeleteMy dad and his sister also understand "Belgian" (actually I think it's an obsolete dialect of Dutch which their dad and grandmother brought over from Flanders), but I have never heard them speak a word of it.
DeleteWhen I was in deacon school, we had a classmate couple whose name is Gonzalez. Both of them are 2nd-generation Mexican and kinda-sorta understand Spanish, but don't really speak it - and hence we're in the English-speaking rather than Spanish-speaking formation program. But just about everyone in the program, at one time or another, made the mistaken/awkward assumption that they speak Spanish. I guess that's sorta understandable in that there are many first-generation Mexican Americans in the church in Chicago. The lesson I learned is, Don't assume!
Maybe Flemish, Jim? It's a Belgian dialect with a Dutch base and a lot of French words. Those lowland countries are pretty polyglot with a lot of regional dialects that nobody but the locals understand. If you have Belgian words still used in your family, write them down!
DeleteThe few "Dutch" words I collected from my gramma don't quite match up with anything in standard Dutch. She used to tell us to "stop geezling the cats" when we were little. "To geezle" always meant aggressive but harmless cuddling. "We went to Aunt Mag's to geezle the new baby." Somebody in my Old English group recognized it as a cognate of a Dutch word that means to restrain someone.
My mother, my brother and I said it, but not picked up by The Boy or his cousins to my knowledge. That was our last living link to the people who came from Andjik, Netherlands, almost 200 years ago.