ONS are publishing three releases on Internet access and e-commerce as part of Digital Day.
Together, these releases paint a detailed picture of the changing use of digital technology. The Internet has changed the way people go about their daily lives. Over three quarters of adults in Great Britain used the Internet every day (76%) in 2014, with almost 7 out of every 10 adults (68%) using a mobile phone, portable computer and/or handheld device to access the Internet ‘on the go’.
Young adults lead the way across all categories of Internet use. Those aged 16 to 24 used the Internet more than other age groups for recreational activities such as social networking (91%) and playing or downloading games (68%). Adults aged 25 to 34 used the Internet more than other age groups to carry out a wide range of established ‘every day’ activities, such as purchasing goods or services online (90%), Internet banking (71%) and selling goods or services online (36%).
Daily computer use by age group, 2006 and 2014
The results are derived from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey. ONS first collected statistics on Internet access in 1998. Since then, a number of changes have been made to the Internet access survey, as well as the publication of annual results since 2006. Where possible, comparisons over time are made in this release. However, the available coverage for time series comparisons varies, as survey questions vary each year.
The ONS has also launched a public consultation on the future publication of statistics to measure the digital economy to ensure these statistics continue to meet user needs. The consultation will close on 30 October. As part of this consultation ONS are seeking user views on the future of the Internet Access Quarterly Update statistical bulletin. Until recently this was a quarterly bulletin, which is now due to become an annual release. The full consultation document can be found on the ONS Consultation pages.
To respond to this consultation please complete the online questionnaire or send the questionnaire in Annex A of the consultation document to: esociety@ons.gsi.gov.uk
Computer and Internet Use
On 14 May 2014, as part of the Internet Access Quarterly Update, ONS reported that 43.5 million people in Great Britain had ever used the Internet, representing approximately 87% of the adult population.
Use of a computer is inextricably linked to the ability of an individual to use the Internet. Both computer and Internet use have increased over time as shown in Figures 1 and 2. In 2014, 73% of adults in Great Britain used a computer every day, up from 45% in 2006 (see Figure 1). Increases in daily computer usage between 2006 and 2014 were seen for all age groups, with the largest relative increase being for those aged 65 and over. In 2006, of those aged 65 and over, just 9% reported that they used a computer every day, compared with 42% in 2014.
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Source: ONS