93 percent of Swiss use the Internet - seniors slowly catching up
93% of the Swiss resident population use the internet. In the age group between 15 and 55, the figure is almost 100%. Senior citizens are pushing down the average, but they are catching up - at least the men.
95% of 15 to 55-year-olds go online every day, according to new figures from the Federal Statistical Office (FSO). In 2014, the overall average was only 84%, in 2017 it was 90%. The proportion is highest among students: 98% of people with a tertiary degree use the internet, while only 80% of those who have only completed compulsory schooling do so.
The highest age group is catching up the most: 88% of 65- to 74-year-olds now use the internet, which is 11 percentage points more than in 2017. The over-75s have even increased by 13 percentage points and are now 58% online. According to the FSO, there is only a difference between the sexes in the highest age group: At over 60, 85 percent of men surf, but only 73 percent of women.
Strong digitalization in the world of work
Although the generational differences in terms of internet use are narrowing, older people are lagging behind when it comes to digital skills: While three quarters of 15 to 24-year-olds have advanced digital skills, only a third of 55 to 64-year-olds and just under a sixth of over 65-year-olds do.
This could also be related to the lack of participation of pensioners in working life. After all, the world of work appears to be one of the most important sources of digital skills. According to the FSO, almost a quarter of those in employment have the impression that their work has changed in the last twelve months because a digital tool was introduced that they had to learn how to use.
29 percent think they need more and more time to acquire new skills. However, this is not perceived as negative: Almost one in four employees believe that digital tools have made it easier to work with colleagues or business partners.
Social networks are stagnating
The most important area of Internet use in private life is communication. 87% of the population sends and receives e-mails, 3% more than two years ago. 80 percent use instant messaging.
77 percent search for goods and services, 73 percent look for news, 68 percent use e-banking, 64 percent watch films and videos, 55 percent consume or download music - all with an increase of three to eight percent since 2017.
Only video conferencing has increased significantly with 24 percentage points and self-created content or blog uploads with 11 percentage points. There are only two areas where usage has stagnated: social networks, which are used by 49% as they were two years ago, and job searches and online applications, which have fallen by one percentage point to 24% (which could be related to falling unemployment).
Only 7 percent do not surf on the move
Mobile surfing, on the other hand, has increased significantly: Eight out of ten people use a cell phone to connect to the internet outside of their home or place of work. Only 7% of the population state that they do not use a mobile device. In 2017, this figure was still 25 percent.
Duration is also increasing: two thirds of the adult population spend more than five hours a week online. The youngest and best-educated people are online the most, but according to the FSO, usage time is increasing significantly in all age groups. (SDA)
