Internet access and use in 2012 More than half of internet users post messages to social media… …and over 60% read news online

Reference: STAT/12/185 Event Date: 18/12/2012

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STAT/12/185

18 December 2012

Internet access and use in 2012
More than half of internet users post messages to social media…
…and over 60% read news online

Internet access and use is widespread amongst the EU population. In the EU27, more than three quarters of households1 had access to the internet in 2012, compared with just under half in 2006. The proportion of households who have a broadband internet connection has increased more significantly. In 2012, 72% of EU27 households had access to the internet via a broadband connection, compared with 30% in 2006.

These data2 published by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, represent only a small part of the results of a survey on Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) usage in households and by individuals in the EU27 Member States, Iceland, Norway, Croatia, Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Turkey. As well as internet use and broadband connections, the survey also covers other indicators such as mobile use of the internet, e-commerce and e-government. The findings are used for monitoring several EU policies, in particular the Digital Agenda for Europe3.

In every Member State, at least 1 household out of 2 has a broadband connection

While the level of internet access increased in all Member States between 2006 and 2012, differences however remain significant. In 2012, shares of internet access of 90% and over were recorded in the Netherlands (94%), Luxembourg (93%) and Denmark and Sweden (both 92%), while shares just over 50% were registered in Bulgaria (51%), Greece and Romania (both 54%).

Broadband internet access enables higher speed when browsing and performing activities over the internet. In 2012, in every Member State at least half of households had a broadband connection. Sweden (87%) registered the highest share of broadband connections, followed by Denmark and Finland (both 85%), the Netherlands (83%), Germany (82%) and the United Kingdom (80% in 2011).

Portuguese internet users more active on social media, Finish for banking and travel

While sending and receiving e-mails as well as finding information about goods or services remained the most common online activities (89% and 83% respectively of those who had used the internet within the last three months) in the EU27 in 2012, other activities are also widespread among EU27 internet users4: 61% read online news, 54% used internet banking services, 52% posted messages to social media and 50% used services related to travel. In 2012, creating websites or blogs was much less common, even if 9% of internet users already undertook this activity.

Lithuania (92% of internet users) and Estonia (91%) had the highest percentages of those having used the internet in 2012 for reading online news and newspapers, while France had the lowest proportion (38%). Finland was the leading Member State for internet banking (91% of internet users) and online travel services (69%). Portugal had the largest share of internet users who posted messages to social media (75% of internet users), and the Czech Republic (35%), France (40%) and Germany (42%) the lowest. The Netherlands (17%) and Hungary (16%) recorded a proportion of internet users who created websites and blogs in 2012 that was almost double the EU27 average.

Households with internet access and broadband connection, %

: Data not available

* United Kingdom: 2011 instead of 2012; EU27 for 2012 is calculated using United Kingdom data for 2011

** Croatia and Turkey: 2007 instead of 2006

Selected activities of internet users, 2012

: Data not available

u Data not reliable

* United Kingdom: 2011 instead of 2012; EU27 for 2012 is calculated using United Kingdom data for 2011

• The survey covered households with at least one person aged 16-74, and individuals aged 16-74. The main reference period was the first quarter of 2012. Households were asked about internet access by any member of the household at home. Individuals were asked about frequency of internet use and about activities they had carried out on the internet in the last three months prior to the survey at home or at any other location for private purposes.

• Eurostat, Statistics in Focus 50/2012 "Internet use in households and by individuals in 2012", available free of charge in pdf format on the Eurostat web site. The full set of data can be found in the dedicated section: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ict under "Data".

• Digital Agenda for Europe: http://ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda

• Internet user: having used the internet in the last 3 months.

Eurostat news releases on the internet: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat