Online Usage Round-Up Q4 2008

Internet users have grown by over two and a half million people in the past year, according to data released by research company BMRB. According to figures for the fourth quarter of 2008, YOY usage has grown by 8.5%. Internet penetration is extremely high, however, there still seems to be room for growth. Q3 YOY analysis suggested that the growth of new internet users was dwindling, as it became part of everyday life for most. The latest user surge is possibly due to the fact that fast internet is becoming more accessible.

The vast majority of people access the internet from home, with only 1.3 million forced to use work or university connections instead. Home usage is also the fastest growing location of logging on from, with 10.5% of growth in the last year. Overall usage continues to grow but academic based connection slowed down slightly compared to Q4 06-07 results, but is still up 3.8% over the most recent period.

Women are narrowing the gap with their male counterparts with an increasingly noticeable presence on the internet. Over the past year, male usage has grown by 6.4%, trailing behind the female growth of 10.7%. Traditionally the internet had been a testosterone-fuelled place, an image that has been changing drastically over the last few years. While both sexes are integrating their daily tasks online in greater numbers, female users have been growing faster. In Q4 06 there was a gap of 1.17 million people – the latest data puts that as a difference of 670,000.

The rise of the ‘silver surfers’ is slowing down, compared to last quarter’s YOY growth of 22.4%. Although the 65+ age-bracket has still risen by 8.7% in the last year. Older demographics continue to be drawn towards the internet, with 45-54 year olds increasing their numbers by 8.6% YOY.

The trend of recent years continues as the lower classes flock to the internet at a faster rate than their more affluent counterparts. DE’s have seen a massive YOY growth of 22.1%, while C2’s have risen by 14.2%. Compare this to the higher earners (AB’s and DE’s), who have both seen their online ranks go up by 5.1% each, and it’s clear where the new internet revolution is happening.

BMRB: www.bmrb.co.uk