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16.5m UK Households Have Internet Access

16.5m UK Households Have Internet Access

New figures from the Office of National Statistics show that 16.46 million UK households currently have internet access, representing 65% of households and an increase of 1.23 million households since 2007.

Of all UK households, 56% have broadband internet access, an increase from 51% in 2007, while of the UK households with internet access, 86% have a broadband connection.

Great Britain has seen an average increase of over one million households per year connecting to the internet since 2004, reaching a total of 16.05 million this year.

Households With Access To The Internet, Great Britain and UK, 2002 to 2008 
Great Britain  UK 
Year Percent Number of Households Percentage Change on Previous Year Year Percent Number of Households Percentage Change on Previous Year
2002 46 11.02m 2002
2003 50 11.88m 8 2003
2004 51 12.16m 2 2004
2005 55 13.26m 9 2005
2006 57 13.93m 5 2006 57 14.26m
2007 61 14.94m 7 2007 61 15.23m 7
2008 65 16.05m 7 2008 65 16.46m 8
Source: Office of National Statistics

The South East has the highest level of internet access, at 74%, with those in the North East least likely to have access.

The proportion of adults who were recent internet users who accessed the internet every day or almost every day was 69% (23.5 million adults).

The 16-24 age group used it most, with 77% using it every day or almost every day, while 73% of men now use the internet every day or almost every day, compared with 66% of women.

Earlier this year online research firm eMarketer released a forecast predicting that 42.8 million Britons will go online in 2012, accounting for about 70% of the population (see 70% Of UK Will Go Online In 2012).

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