Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2022

One in fourteen had never used the internet

This chapter focusses on how frequently respondents use the internet, and for people who are recent users (used the internet in the three months prior to interview), do they go online every day or almost every day, and if less frequent users, their broad frequency of usage.

At an overall level, more than nine in ten (92%) individuals used the internet recently (within the previous three months of when they took part in the survey), while just 1% had used the internet, but not recently (not within the previous three months) and a further one in fourteen (7%) had never used the internet. See Table 2.1.

Note that internet use not only includes internet browsing or buying of goods or services online or online education. It includes all activities that require the internet, such as email, instant messaging, use of WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, internet banking, etc.

Almost all persons aged 30 to 44 years were recent internet users. Similarly, 96% of individuals aged 45 to 59 years had used the internet within the previous three months, and more than four in five (82%) older persons aged 60 to 74 years had gone online in the previous three months. See Figure 2.1 and Table 2.1.

Nearly half of persons aged 75+ have never used the internet

Just 7% of persons aged 16 years and older had never used the internet, predominantly older persons (45% of persons aged 75 and over have never used the internet. This compared with just 1% of persons aged 30 to 44 years, and 3% of persons aged 45 to 59 years, who have never used the internet. All persons aged 16 to 29 years have used the internet within the previous three months. See Figure 2.1 and Table 2.1.

Of persons surveyed whose principal economic status was At work, almost all (98%) used the internet within the previous three months, up one percentage point on 2021. This compares with 70% of persons whose principal economic status was Retired. See Table 2.1.

More than nine in ten internet users go online daily

Over nine in every ten (94%) internet users used the internet every day. Nearly all internet users aged between 16 and 44 years used the internet every day or almost every day, while 95% of internet users aged 45 to 59 years used the internet daily. Of internet users aged between 60 and 74 years, 84% used the internet every day or almost every day, while almost two thirds (64%) of internet users aged 75 years and over used the internet daily or almost daily. See Figure 2.2 and Table 2.2.

There is no difference between the percentage of females and males who were daily internet users - both 94%. See Table 2.2.

Almost all (98%) internet users whose principal economic status was At work went online every day or almost every day. This compares with less than eight in ten (77%) persons whose principal economic status was Retired. All Students were online at some point during their day. See Table 2.2.

Persons in households with children were more likely to go online daily

Persons living in households with dependent children were more likely to use the internet on a daily or almost daily basis. Almost all (99%) internet users surveyed, living in households comprised of two adults with children, used the internet every day or almost every day, as did 98% of internet users living in households made up of one adult with children and 97% of those residing in a household with three or more adults with children. By comparison, 87% of persons living in single occupancy households, and over nine in ten (91%) recent internet users in households of two adults with no children, used the internet daily or almost daily. See Table 2.2.

More than four in ten daily internet users use it all the time/nearly all the time

Of those persons who were daily internet users, more than four in ten (43%) used it all the time/nearly all the time – 17% used the internet all the time while a further 26% used it nearly all the time. The numbers going online nearly all the time has increased by six percentage points on 2021. See Table 2.3.

Younger daily internet users aged 16 to 29 years used the internet most frequently throughout the day. Nearly one quarter (24%) used the internet all the time, while a further one third (33%) accessed the internet nearly all the time, and 39% accessed it several times a day. Similarly, the frequency of daily internet access was high in the 30 to 44 years age category. One in five (20%) daily internet users aged 30 to 44 years, used the internet all the time, while a further three in ten (30%) of daily internet users in this age group used the internet nearly all the time, and a further 40% used the internet several times a day. See Figure 2.3 and Table 2.3.

Nearly half of daily internet users aged 60 years and over used the internet several times a day, - 48% of persons aged between 60 and 74 years and 45% of internet users aged 75 and over. See Figure 2.3 and Table 2.3.

Of daily internet users surveyed whose principal economic status was At Work, almost one in five (19%) used it all the time, same as in 2021. Nearly three in ten (28%) of these internet users were online nearly all the time, while more than four in ten (42%) used the internet several times a day. See Table 2.3.

Students most frequent users of the internet

At an overall level, Students were the most frequent users of the internet in 2022. All Students had used the internet every day or almost every day. Of these daily internet users, one third (33%) used the internet several times a day while a further 38% of Students used the internet nearly all the time and over one quarter (26%) used the internet all the time. See Tables 2.2 and 2.3.

Nearly eight in ten (78%) Retired persons who used the internet in the last three months, used it every day or almost every day. Of these daily internet users, nearly one in ten (9%) used the internet nearly all the time, while 3% used the internet all the time. See Tables 2.2 and 2.3.

Nearly two thirds (65%) of persons aged 75 years and over (who used the internet in the previous three months), used it every day or almost every day. Of these, nearly half (45%) used it several times a day, while a further 45% used the internet briefly one or two times a day. One in eleven (9%) used it nearly all the time, while just 2% said that they used the internet all the time. See Tables 2.2 and 2.3.