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22% of European citizens do not use the internet

37 points| thomasbachem | 12 years ago |appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu | reply

37 comments

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[+] goblin89|12 years ago|reply
What constitutes Internet use in this research? Which part of the infrastructure has to be involved for it to count? Those questions don't have clear answers.

According to Methodological Manual, they were asking questions such as “When did you last use the Internet?” during face-to-face and phone interviews.

They did ask about using Internet and websites from mobile devices, in addition to “computers”. However, I'm not sure if many non-technical users would qualify updating an app (which may happen automatically), or performing various in-app activities (also may happen automatically, like updating weather forecast) as using the Internet.

So it seems to be more indicative of how many Europeans, of those who do agree to phone or face-to-face interviews, deliberately access email or web sites.

[+] ezequiel-garzon|12 years ago|reply
I agree. Here in Spain, even the oldest grandpas are using WhatsApp. Is that using the Internet? Maybe they meant the web...
[+] bajsejohannes|12 years ago|reply
To see the figure 22%, set "INDIC_IS" to "Internet use: never".

That's interesting. However, it might be more interesting with "Internet use: in the last 3 months". That's at 74%, meaning 26% didn't use it the last 3 months.

Edit: It's also interesting to sort countries by usage. The poorer countries are at around 50% internet usage. I'm surprised to see Italy way down there with 56% usage (last 3 months).

[+] rsynnott|12 years ago|reply
Italy has a very large elderly population.
[+] trumbitta2|12 years ago|reply
Italy comes from 20 years of bad government and television supremacy. Also, most of our very very very old politicians are incredibly ignorant of all things digital.
[+] jonny2112|12 years ago|reply
I find it interesting that Greece and Italy, both of whom are in a financial crisis have some of the lowest internet uses rates it the EU. I wonder what the correlation between the economic crisis and this is.
[+] MistahKoala|12 years ago|reply
For a post-agrarian economy like Greece where ~half the population lives in Athens? Probably quite weak.
[+] andridk|12 years ago|reply
So 22% of European people still have relative privacy. I am a bit jealous.
[+] keithpeter|12 years ago|reply
Is the 2400 baud modem and NC100 in a cabin in the mountains not available in the US anymore?

That might sound flippant, what I mean is when you drill into the 22% you will find it is people in remote areas with poor and expensive connectivity that make up the majority of those who do not use the Internet. Age profile might be an issue as well, although many older people are using the Web now to stay in contact with family who have moved to the cities.

I'm actually considering dumping the landline and asdl over copper broadband at home here in a large city in the UK. I get internet access at work, in the local art centre and the local library (wifi) and can keep a pay as you go mobile broadband dongle for emergency use at home. This isn't anything to do with surveillance just that we are paying hundreds of pounds a year for a land line that gets hardly any use for actual voice calls.

[+] mbq|12 years ago|reply
90% of Europeans, even technically illiterate, have a mobile phone, which is even worse for privacy than the iternet.
[+] randyrand|12 years ago|reply
In light of this does the United Nation's decision last year that Internet Access should be a basic human right hold water considering that so many freely choose to go without it? Here's the list for comparison:

http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/

[+] mnml_|12 years ago|reply
22% of European don't use ATM machines and don't have a credit card ? I don't think so.
[+] zalew|12 years ago|reply
In some areas of Warsaw there are more ATMs than places where you can actually spend money, and card usage is ridiculously high to the point where if a store doesn't accept one you're pissed and think of the place as savages (well, almost, some discount stores and 24h liquors don't have terminals). Meanwhile, in Polish rural areas there is close to no ATMs in 10km radius (made that up, don't have any data), bars and stores don't accept cc and usually you have to take an actual trip to the nearest town for the money. There is also no usage among the elderly, most of them don't trust plastic/electronic money, don't understand how it works, or aren't confident in their abilities to use it.
[+] tty|12 years ago|reply
I would think the percentage of people who don't use ATM machines and don't have a credit card is likely higher than 22%, actually. Using only cash is much more common in Europe than in the US.
[+] Wilya|12 years ago|reply
Credit card use varies a lot between countries. Germany is more than 10% of Europe and they're known have low credit card use, so they might influence stats a bit.
[+] kryptiskt|12 years ago|reply
Last time I was in Germany Burger King didn't take cards, only cash.
[+] bowlofpetunias|12 years ago|reply
Many countries have an extensive debit card network and direct online payments, obviating most of the need for either.

In the Netherlands, you can pay everywhere with your debit card from any bank. Same goes for online payments.

[+] Nux|12 years ago|reply
22% still have a life then.