According to his survey report, ‘Britain’ is 7th in a league table of European countries for percentage of population that regularly use the internet.
Survey: Iceland leads Europe in net use – Research – BizReport
Survey: Iceland leads Europe in net use
Iceland has the highest percentage of population aged 14 and above in Europe that uses the Internet on a regular basis, finds recent research.by Helen Leggatt
The survey, by market research firm GfK, found that 88% of the population of Iceland uses the Internet regularly.
The Scandinavian countries of Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden came next, followed by Austria and Britain.
Could it be that climate drives Internet use? The Scandinavian and Icelandic climates are colder than those of the countries where Internet use is lowest – Malta, Spain and Portugal – and daylight is in shorter supply.
1. Iceland – 88%
2. Finland – 81%
3. Norway – 76%
4. Denmark – 76 %
5. Sweden – 73 %
6. Austria – 67 %
7. Britain – 63 %
8. Germany – 61 %
9. Slovenia – 61 %
10. Estonia – 60 %
11. France – 56 %
12. Italy – 53 %
13. Ireland – 45 %
14. Portugal – 43 %
15. Spain – 35 %
16. Malta – 25 %Norway has just been ranked the most technologically advanced country in the world, for the third year in a row, in The World Economic Forum’s latest Global Information Technology Report.
I would suggest that it’s not so much a cold climate as lack of daylight in the winter months that drives Northerners to spend more time on indoor pursuits.
September 13th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
Europe growth in internet users was very fast and not so unexpected. Internet was quicker than teletext, which was a text on screen information system in use on UK TV. Since then people have been used to sharing information. Now the internet is in full demand everywhere and anywhere. Even the new international train stations at St Pancras, Ebbsfleet and Ashford have had to install wifi internet access for those business users working and travelling by train to Europe.
Mobile internet has probably been the biggest uphill battle as the mobile and phone companies try to cloud free internet sharing and sell expensive broadband packages to the rich and manic technophobics. I just hope that time adventually catchup and I can download a Mc Donalds Happy Meal, until then I won’t be impressed.
These trends in my opinion go with the weather, colder it gets less you want to go out, more time you spend online? Just a theory.