Ouça este artigo
An IBGE analyst presents the latest national survey on cellphone ownership in Brazil, outlining a broad rise across the population. The analyst notes an exception among young adolescents, who show a decline in personal device use. The article connects this shift to growing concerns about safety and privacy, as well as school restrictions tied to the Digital Statute for Children and Adolescents. It also notes how these factors may shape internet access and device ownership across age groups, while other demographics continue to expand their ownership.
- Most Brazilians own a personal mobile phone, and ownership rose overall.
- Children in the early teen years were the only group to see a drop in phone ownership and internet use.
- Older adults showed the largest rise in phone ownership.
- Not having a phone mostly comes from not knowing how to use it, not needing one, and cost.
- Privacy or safety concerns grew as a reason not to use the internet, especially among younger people.
Brazil records overall rise in personal cellphone ownership in 2025, but 10-13-year-olds show a decline
The latest PNAD TIC 2025 report from IBGE shows that personal cellphone ownership continued to rise across Brazil in 2025. However, children aged 10 to 13 are the only group to experience a drop in ownership and in internet use.
Key findings and trends
In 2025, about 167.4 million people aged 10 or older owned a mobile phone for personal use, representing 89.8% of the population in that age bracket. Among all age groups, the 10-13 cohort still has the lowest share of owners.
For the 10-13 age group, ownership fell from 56.7% in 2024 to 55.2% in 2025. Internet use for this group also declined, dropping from 84.9% to 84.4% in the same period.
Older adults, by contrast, showed the strongest uptick in ownership. People aged 60 and over increased their ownership from 78.3% in 2024 to 80.3% in 2025 — the largest growth among all age groups.
Overall, there were 19.1 million people aged 10 without a personal mobile phone in 2025, equal to about 10.2% of the population. The total without a phone has been decreasing, from 18.7% in 2019 to 11.1% in 2024.
Why some still do not own or use the internet
Among those aged 10 without a cellphone, the leading reasons were not knowing how to use the device (31.1%), followed by a perceived lack of need (21.1%), and the cost of the device (14.9%). Taken together, these three factors account for roughly two-thirds of responses.
Other cited reasons include concerns about privacy or security (11.8%), using someone else’s phone (10.1%), and other factors (8.9%). Cost of service and service availability in frequented places accounted for smaller shares.
Notably, concern about privacy or security has risen steadily. It was 4.8% in 2022, 7.7% in 2024, and reached 11.8% in 2025. Among 10-13-year-olds who do not use the internet, privacy concerns were among the top reasons alongside lack of perceived need.
Focus on the 10-13 age group
For the 10-13 demographic, the two most common reasons for not having or not using a phone are lack of need (about 32%) and privacy or security concerns (around 30%), a pattern that IBGE says may reflect parental caution and household rules.
In 2025, 9.5% of the population aged 10 did not use the internet. The most common obstacle was not knowing how to operate technology (44.9%), followed by a lack of need (27.8%). Economic factors, including service or device costs, accounted for about 9% of responses, while privacy concerns were cited by 5.3%.
Conclusion
The latest IBGE PNAD TIC 2025 survey confirms a broad national rise in personal cellphone ownership, with about 167.4 million Brazilians aged 10 owning a device and representing 89.8% of that population. Yet the analysis highlights a clear exception: 10–13-year-olds experience a decline in ownership and internet use, dropping to 55.2% and 84.4% respectively. By contrast, the strongest growth occurs among older adults (60), whose ownership climbs to 80.3%. The overall decrease in non-ownership is linked to factors such as a lack of familiarity with devices, a perceived lack of need, and cost, while concerns about privacy and safety have become more prominent, especially among younger people.
These findings suggest that Brazil is moving toward greater digital inclusion, but age-specific dynamics require careful attention to safety, privacy, and household or school policies that shape use. The rising prominence of privacy concerns—growing from 4.8% in 2022 to 11.8% in 2025—underscores the need for policies that strengthen privacy protections and promote safe online practices without curtailing access.
For policymakers and educators, the implication is clear: continue advancing digital literacy and affordable access, while balancing safety and privacy considerations, particularly for children and adolescents. Ongoing monitoring of the 10–13 cohort will be essential to understand how parental guidance, school rules, and statutory frameworks influence future ownership and internet use, ensuring inclusive digital progress across Brazil’s population.
Frequently asked questions
- Why did 10- to 13-year-old cellphone ownership fall in 2025? It fell from 56.7% in 2024 to 55.2% in 2025. This group still has the lowest ownership share.
- How did internet use among 10- to 13-year-olds change in 2025? Internet use dropped from 84.9% in 2024 to 84.4% in 2025.
- How many Brazilians aged 10 had a personal cellphone in 2025? 167.4 million people, or 89.8% of the population.
- Which age group saw the biggest rise in cellphone ownership in 2025? Seniors aged 60 and older, rising from 78.3% to 80.3%.
- What were the main reasons people did not have a cellphone, including kids? Not knowing how to use it (31.1%), lack of need (21.1%), and high cost (14.9%). Privacy or security concerns were 11.8%, and among 10- to 13-year-olds, lack of need (33.8%) and privacy or security concerns (30.3%) were most common.