ONS Internet Access Surveys

Cecil Prescott4 July 2012

Internet Access surveys

• Annual survey• Quarterly survey• Internet users by age• Internet users by disability• Summary of available published data• Links to publications

Internet Access surveys

• Internet Access - households and individuals - annual• Internet Access - quarterly update

Annual survey

• ONS began publishing annual Internet Access estimates in 2006

• Some questions change each year as use of the Internet develops

• Sample size of 3,300 allows limited socio-demographic breakdowns

• Publication contains data on household Internet access and adults’ use of the Internet

Annual survey

In 2011:• There were 17.6 million mobile phone Internet users,

representing 45 per cent of Internet users• 6 million people had accessed the Internet over their

mobile phone for the first time in the last 12 months• 4.9 million adults used wireless hotspots, almost

double the number in 2010• 77 per cent of households had Internet Access

Quarterly survey

• “Internet Access – Quarterly Update” introduced in response to Raceonline2012’s need for more data on Internet users and non-users

• Larger sample of 41,000 each quarter enables more detailed socio- demographic breakdowns than the annual survey

• Results from the quarterly and annual surveys are not directly comparable, due to different data sources and methodologies

• Quarterly estimates now regarded as the official UK estimates of ever or never used the Internet

Quarterly survey

At 2012 Q1 • 16 per cent of adults (8.1 million) had never used the

Internet• 84 per cent of adults (42.2 million) had ever used the

Internet• Non-users tend to be older, have disabilities and are

on lower incomes• Less than 1 per cent of 16-24 age group had never

used the Internet• 73 per cent of 75 + age group had never used it

Internet users by age group

Internet non-users by disability

Summary of published data

Quarterly data on Internet users and non-users;• UK estimates, by age group, sex, disability, region

and earnings

Annual data on household Internet Access;• How people access the Internet and what people

do online• GB estimates by age group and sex

Internet Access publications

• Annual Internet Access - Household and Individuals 2011 bulletin:• http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access---

households-and-individuals/index.html

• Internet Access Quarterly Update 2012 Q1 bulletin:• http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/rdit2/internet-access-quarterly-

update/index.html

Contact details

esociety@ons.gov.uk

cecil.prescott@ons.gov.uk

Tel 01633 456767