This document summarizes internet usage statistics in the UK. It finds that the divide between online and offline users is growing, with 17.5% of the population having never used the internet. Usage increases with younger age and location in London/South of England. Barriers to usage include lack of interest, cost, age, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status. While most internet users go online for social contact and fun, only about half feel comfortable providing personal information online. Moving social services online poses challenges to increase digital inclusion.

1. Section Divider: Heading intro here.
Internet use in the UK: the evidence
June 2011
Kevin McLean

2. If all UK digitally excluded adults got
online and made one digital contact
each month, this would save the
Government £900 million per year
PwC & Martha Lane Fox
www.raceonline.org/research
October 2009

3. The divide between the online and
the offline is deepening
70
60 60
55
50 49
45
40
35 Every Day
30
27 25 Never
20 21
18
10
0
2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Percentage population use of the internet
Source: ONS 2010

4. 8.7 million adults have never used the
internet – 17.5% of the population
Internet Access Quarterly Update, ONS 2011 Q1

5. 40.8 million adults used the internet
every day – 82.2 per cent of the
population
Internet Access Quarterly Update, ONS 2011 Q1

6. Who uses the internet?
› 95.3% + of people aged under 35-44 (and
99% of 16-24 year olds)
› 85% of men, compared with 80% of women
› People in London & the South of England
(85.6%)
Internet Access Quarterly Update, ONS 2011 Q1

7. People who have ever used the internet, by
age (%) Internet Access Quarterly Update, ONS 2011 Q1
100 98.7
97.5
95.3
89.5
90
80 78.8
70
60 57
50
Ever used the internet (%)
40
30
23.8
20
10
0
16-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+

8. Who doesn’t use the internet?
› 5.1m women have never used the internet,
compared with 3.6m men
› Only 17% of women aged 75+ have used the
internet, compared with 33% of men aged 75+
› 4.2m disabled adults – almost half of all those
who have never used the internet, or 1 in 3 of
disabled people
› 29.3% of people in Northern Ireland and 22.7%
of people in NE England
Internet Access Quarterly Update, ONS 2011 Q1

9. Who doesn’t use the internet? (contd)
Ofcom shows age and socioeconomic group are
significant:
› 20% drop in internet use from national average
among those in social group DE
› Close to half of non-users are aged 65 and over
› Close to half of non-users are in socioeconomic
group DE
Source: Ofcom UK Adults’ Media Literacy Report, 2011

10. Four major factors to not using the
internet are age, socio-economic
group, disability, and gender

11. Why don’t people use the internet
Two key barriers are:
› Lack of interest (64% of those who don’t
intend to get the internet at home gave this
reason)
› Cost (23%)
Source: Ofcom UK Adults’ Media Literacy Report, 2011

12. Internet users: reasons for using the
100% internet
Source: Ofcom UK Adults’ Media Literacy Report, 2011
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
73%
63%
30%
49%
40%
20% 36% 37%
21%
10%
0%
Social contact ass the time
P For fun To relax Sports news Learn things News

13. Only 2% of UK adults use only an alternative
device to a PC or laptop to go online
(Note: This is use of an alternative as their only means of
going online)
Source: Ofcom UK Adults’ Media Literacy Report, 2011

14. Internet users are more likely to have
interaction with government or their local
council offline (71%) than online (65%).
Only 54% of UK adults have ever used an
online government service (eg website,
email, app etc)
Source: Ofcom UK Adults’ Media Literacy Report, 2011

15. 82% of internet users say they have saved
money in the last six months by using the
internet
with 46% saying they’ve made significant
savings
Source: Ofcom UK Adults’ Media Literacy Report, 2011

16. Around half of internet users have some
concerns about providing personal
information online
Source: Ofcom UK Adults’ Media Literacy Report, 2011

17. UK online centres
4000 member centres, covering 84% of England’s
most deprived areas. Locations include:
• Community centres including in social housing
• Schools, Surestart and Children’s centres
• Shops
• Old people’s homes and Sheltered Housing
• Mosques, churches, religious buildings
• Farms
• Pubs
• Homeless shelters and hostels
• Libraries
• AND …. Lots of going out to people where they are

18. Relationship with Job centre Plus
Centres with a JCP
relationship • =50%
No of people
referred from JCP
per centre
• =23
No of people
referred to UK online
centres in 2010-11
•=46000*
*There were over 4000 partner Source: 2010-11 Centre satisfaction
centres by Mar 2011. survey

19. So.....
Must be right to move social security online.
But there is a significant challenge in moving people
online, and then a further challenge in getting them
comfortable enough to interact with Government
online.
It won’t happen by accident, but the good news is
there are great examples to build on.

20. Thank You
kmclean@ufi.com
Twitter: @kevinamclean
www.go-on.co.uk