The sharing economy, also called the collaborative economy is based on shared resources, like a room, a service, reselling, a skill or a car, between individuals and facilitated by the internet, in its majority as a temporary exchange. Examples of these practices are Airbnb and Uber.
Consumers of the sharing economy use digital platforms to provide, buy, sell, share or rent goods and services specifically between private individuals, rather than with commercial enterprises. In the 2021 survey, respondents were asked if they used any website or app to arrange accommodation or transport service, from a commercial enterprise/transport enterprise and also from a private person. In this way, respondents were better placed to specifically identify the sharing economy element of their online activity.
The COVID-19 pandemic has likely impacted the sharing economy. The response to the pandemic saw restrictions of varying degrees on national and international travel at different times, and the data presented should be seen within this context.
In 2021, just 4% of internet users rented accommodation (room, apartment, house, holiday cottage, etc.) via a website or app from a private person (for example Airbnb). Only 3% of persons aged 16 to 29 years arranged accommodation in this way, compared with 6% of older persons aged between 60 and 74 years. One in twenty (5%) respondents aged 45 to 59 years arranged accommodation from private persons over a digital platform in 2021. See Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1.
| X-axis label | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Rented accomodation via a website or app for private use from a commercial accommodation provider | 18 | 13 |
| Rented accomodation via a website or app for private use from a private person | 5 | 4 |
| Arranged any transport service via a website or app for private use from a commercial accommodation provider | 21 | 14 |
| Arranged any transport service via a website or app for private use from a private person | 0 | 1 |
People chose more so to arrange accommodation on a digital platform from a commercial enterprise such as a hotel, travel agency, etc. – 15% of respondents booked accommodation in this way. Males were more likely than females to organise accommodation with a hotel, travel agency, etc. – 18% of males compared with 13% of females. Only one in ten (10%) younger respondents, aged 16 to 29 years, arranged accommodation in this way compared with 15-16% of older age groups. See Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1.
Of respondents surveyed, 18% arranged transport from a transport enterprise (local bus, train, flight ticket, taxi ride, etc.) via a website or app in 2021 (non-collaborative economy). Just 1% of internet users engaged in transport collaborative economy activity by arranging transport from another private person (via a digital platform such as Uber, Hailo, etc.). See Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1.
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