UK consumers most connected in Europe, finds new report

75% of European adults access the internet regularly, and of these, over half own two or more connected devices, finds Forrester’s first benchmark report on the state of consumers and technology in Europe.

The report – based on a survey of more than 22,000 respondents across the EU5 – accounts for online activities, device ownership, media consumption, retail, social media and mobile behaviours.

UK consumers are the most connected in Europe, with 83% accessing the web regularly, and are also most likely to own a laptop (64%), smartphone (52%) or tablet (12%).

In comparison to the rest of the EU5, France shows a slower uptake of technology – though not far behind, with smartphone and tablet adoption at 42% and 7%, respectively.

Of those surveyed, 64% said that they access the internet from the living room, followed by 44% in the bedroom, 22% when outdoors, and 14% when in the car.

When it comes to connected devices, over half of the European online audience own two or more, with 23% of Britons surveyed admitting to owning more than three. 7% don’t own any connected devices – the lowest figure in the chart.

In Europe, Facebook reigns supreme out of the social networking giants. 58% of European online adults have a Facebook account, whilst just 5% of the German online audience has a Twitter account, compared with the UK’s 18%.

“Consumers in Europe are more connected today than ever before,” said Forrester Research Director Reineke Reitsma. She added, however, that “Companies that want to interact with these new, perpetually connected customers will need to take into account the differences that exist between European countries.

“Our analysis shows that while European consumers in each country heavily incorporate technology in their lives, there are major differences between countries in the level of Internet adoption, technology usage, and sophistication.”