What is it, who does it affect, and what can be done about it?
How long could you go without access to the internet? Initially, it may be quite nice to unplug for a while, but it wouldn’t be long before you notice that certain barriers start to crop up. Online banking is off the cards, for example, and with Which? finding that 6,000 bank branches have closed in the last nine years, taking care of your finances wouldn’t be easy. Communication might be difficult – both with friends and family, but also with service providers. Most jobs listings require online applications – as do schools and nurseries, and welfare and support services. And you can forget about finding contact details or helpful emails with ease. Very quickly, it would become clear just how dependent modern life is on having enough data – so, what happens when you don’t?
‘Poverty’ describes when someone is unable to afford the necessities that they need to live, so the term ‘data poverty’ is about being unable to afford access to the internet. In 2025, data is such an essential part of life that having access to ‘appropriate technology’ is now recognised in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals on ending poverty. Plus, in a survey by the charity Good Things Foundation, 61% of respondents said that internet access should become recognised as an essential utility, just like electricity.
How big is the problem?
According to the affordability tracker from Ofcom, about 6.8 million houses struggled to afford communication services in 2024, and 3.7 million households with children do not meet the ‘Minimum Digital Living Standard’ (accessible internet, adequate equipment, and the skills and knowledge needed to navigate digital services).
A report into data poverty in Scotland and Wales, from charity Nesta, found that people who are living in poverty have fewer opportunities to engage fully in the online world, with changes brought in since the Covid-19 pandemic only exacerbating this problem further, as entryways to many vital services now take place online. What’s more, the report found that the greater someone’s need for data, the greater the impact reduced access has on their life. For example, someone who is unemployed typically will have a high data need because they need to search for and apply for jobs, but they are unable to afford data when they are without employment.
As with other forms of poverty, data poverty forces people to make difficult choices about what they spend their money on. In the report from the Good Things Foundation, one parent said: “Realistically, I choose paying for the internet over feeding myself, because the need is so massive for my children.” Another parent highlighted how data poverty impacted her son’s mental health, saying: “My 14-year-old son is struggling with depression and anxiety. Having data helps, he can listen to music or we watch a film together. Using the internet also helps me understand more of what he is going through, and how I can help him.”
Finding support
Imagine a foodbank, but for data rather than food. The National Databank is run by the Good Things Foundation, and provides free mobile SIM cards and data packages for people who cannot afford to access the internet. Launched in 2021, the National Databank began with 34 hubs and – with the support of Vodafone and Three – expanded to more than 1,000 digital inclusion hubs in just one year.
Today, more than 2,500 of these hubs offer National Databank, and more than 125,000 data packages are given to people who need them. What’s more, in 2024, Virgin Media O2 connected more than 223,000 people with O2 SIM cards since joining up with the Good Things Foundation, providing them with free data, texts, and minutes for up to 12 months.
In addition to databanks, most libraries also offer access to the internet and computers. While in some counties this may be free, others may have a small charge in place. It’s worth noting you’ll often need to book in advance, and the time could be capped to 60 minutes.
A connected future
As our society grows ever more digitally focused, data poverty will continue to be a problem for many people in the UK. Awareness of the issue, but also an understanding of how vital data can be in order for us to access services and opportunities, makes a difference to the culture around technology and data inequalities. This new way of life is often digital first, so as more people hit barriers in accessing data, this particular kind of poverty, and its solutions, have become important learning for all.
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