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The digital divide in Europe
85% of students used the internet in 2004

Info zo zahraničia | www.europa.eu.int
14.11.2005 | Čítalo: 8882 | Diskusia: 0

In the EU25, 85% of students (aged 16 or more in school or university) used the internet during the first quarter of 2004, as did 60% of employees, 40% of the unemployed and 13% of the retired, compared to an EU25 average of 47% for individuals¹ aged from 16 to 74. This divide by employment status is also found by educational level²: only 25% of those with at most lower secondary education used the internet during the first quarter of 2004, while the proportion rose to 52% for those who had completed secondary education, and 77% for those with a tertiary education.

During the past decade, Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have become widely available to the general public, in both accessibility and cost. However, gaps remain in the use of ICT amongst the EU population depending on factors such as their age, employment status and educational level, and the degree of urbanisation of the area where they live. This so-called digital divide has several origins: missing infrastructure or access; missing incentives to use ICTs; lack of the computer literacy or skills necessary to take part in the information society.

This information comes from a report³ released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities, which takes a closer look at the magnitude of the digital divide and some possible explanations for its existence.

Largest divide by educational level in Portugal, smallest in Lithuania

In all Member States for which data are available, there is a higher level of internet use among the higher educated than among the lower. There is no significant link between the overall level of internet penetration and the size of this divide. The largest gaps were recorded in Portugal (70 percentage points), Slovenia (68 pp), Spain (61 pp), the United Kingdom (59 pp) and Italy (58 pp), while the smallest divides were observed in Lithuania (11 pp), Sweden (24 pp), Germany (25 pp), Denmark and Estonia (both 27 pp).

Only in Sweden (70%), Denmark (64%), Finland (54%) and Germany (51%) did more than half of the lower educated use the internet during the first quarter of 2004, while the proportion of the higher educated who used the internet fell below 50% only in Lithuania (38%) and Greece (48%).

Only in the Netherlands did more than half of the retired use the internet

In all Member States for which data are available, the highest proportion of internet use during the first quarter of 2004 was recorded for students. The highest ratios were registered in Finland (97%), Sweden and Denmark (both 96%), and the lowest in Greece (55%), Ireland (57%) and Italy (74%). Across the EU, employees generally registered the second highest proportion of internet use. The highest levels were observed in Sweden (86%), Denmark (83%), the Netherlands and Finland (both 82%), and the lowest in Greece (28%), Lithuania and Hungary (both 33%).

In nearly all Member States a lower proportion of the unemployed than employees used the internet in the first quarter of 2004. Internet use amongst the unemployed ranged from 8% in Lithuania and 10% in Latvia to 86% in Sweden and 76% in the Netherlands. In all Member States the lowest proportion of internet use was observed for the retired. In thirteen Member States less than 10% of the retired had used the internet, while only in the Netherlands (54%), Sweden (45%), Denmark (34%), and Luxembourg (32%) was the proportion more than a quarter. These gaps are consistent with those found by age, where the proportion of internet users among those aged 16 to 24 was three times higher than for those aged 55 to 74.

Internet usage by individuals 2004 (%)

* EU25 excludes Member States for which data is not available.

: Data not available

1. The survey covered individuals aged 16-74. The survey period was the second quarter of 2004. Internet usage refers to those who reported using the internet at least once during the three months prior to the survey. See also News Release 62/2005 of 13 May 2005 and Statistics in Focus, Industry, Trade & Services, 18/2005, “Internet usage by individuals and enterprises 2004”.
2. Educational level: Lower: ISCED 0, 1 or 2 (no formal education, primary education or lower secondary education); Middle: ISCED 3 or 4 (upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education); Higher: ISCED 5 or 6 (tertiary programmes which normally require successful completion of ISCED 3 or 4, or second stage tertiary education that leads to an advanced research qualification.
3. Eurostat, Statistics in Focus, Industry, Trade & Services, 38/2005, “The digital divide in Europe”. The publication is available free of charge in PDF format on the Eurostat website.