Digital usage trends in the DACH region

Duration of media use in minutes on a weekday.58 million users between the ages of 16 and 69 were surveyed from the North and Baltic Seas to the Swiss Jura and Styria. Over 90 percent of them (53 million) are online on a weekday via PC or laptop (CH: 88%, D and A: 92%), and the daily usage time via these devices is over three hours (CH: 179 minutes, D: 195 minutes, A: 200 minutes). Over half of internet users in the three countries go online via smartphone (CH: 59%, D: 55%, A: 54%,). These 32 million mobile users in the DACH region spend an average of over one and a half hours online on a weekday using a mobile device (CH: 100 minutes, D and A: 95 minutes).Internet leads the way in media useIn terms of weekday media and device usage, the internet (laptop/desktop usage) is clearly in first place in all three countries, followed by TV. A differentiated picture emerges in third place in the ranking, which underlines the generally slightly higher mobile affinity of the Swiss: while in Switzerland the smartphone ranks in user favor with 59%, radio (D: 62%, A: 58%) is in third place in Germany and Austria. In Switzerland, daily newspapers (51%), radio (50%), magazines (39%), tablet (36%) and smart TV (15%) follow in third place.Media meshing is a matter of courseMedia meshing, i.e. the parallel or combined use of at least two media, is a matter of course for online users in the DACH region - across all media. For nine out of ten respondents, TV is the additional medium of choice (D: 92%, A: 90%, CH: 90%). However, radio (CH: 84%, D: 82%, A: 83%) and the internet via tablet (CH: 85%, D: 84%, A: 80%) are also very popular as parallel media.media meshing in the form of social TV buzz is a trend. On average, over 40 percent of respondents read online comments on the social web at least occasionally in parallel to the TV program (CH: 46%, D: 48%, A: 41%). However, only around a fifth do this themselves (CH: 21%, D and A: 17%)When using the internet alongside TV, laptops/desktops dominate on digital devices in all three countries (CH: 72% of respondents, D: 80%, A: 76%) ahead of the smartphone (CH: 54%, D: 53%, A: 50%) and the tablet (CH: 33%, D: 28% of respondents, A: 22%).Digital channels are all-round companions for all walks of lifeWhether shopping, information or communication - the internet is highly relevant in all three countries in all areas of life. It is clear that the internet primarily stands for speed or real time, transparency and connection or networking. The top 3 activities on the internet for Swiss, German, Austrian and online users alike are ordering or buying products (CH: 67%, D: 83% of respondents, A: 75%), following current events (CH and D: 74%, A: 73%) and contact/communication with friends and acquaintances (CH: 75%, D: 71%, A: 73%). More than one in four respondents now also use the internet to contact authorities or political parties.Digital commerce is boomingOnline shopping is popular in the DACH region. Last month, 40 million online shoppers in the DACH region made purchases online using a laptop/desktop (CH: 57%, D: 71%, A: 63%), 13 million using a smartphone/tablet (CH: 25%, D: 22%, A: 21%). In terms of power shopping (more than 6 purchases in the last month) via laptop/desktop, German online shoppers are numerically ahead of Swiss and Austrian shoppers (CH and A: 10% each, D: 17%,), while Germans and Swiss (6% each) are only just ahead of Austrians (5%) on smartphones/tablets. In terms of spending on online shopping, around a third of online shoppers in the DACH region spent an average of at least EUR 151 on online purchases in the last month (CH: 38%, A: 34%, D: 31%).Wearables on the riseWearables, i.e. internet-enabled devices (glasses, wristwatches, contact lenses, etc.) that can be worn directly on the body, are a topic that online users in Germany, Austria and Switzerland are already intensively engaged with. More than half of all internet users in the three countries are familiar with smart devices (CH: 56%, D: 57%, A: 60%). On average, over 10 percent have already used such devices (CH and D: 14% each, A: 10%), and at least one in three can currently imagine using them (CH: 41%, D: 34%, A: 37%).The study was conducted by IAB Switzerland, Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) e.V. and IAB Austria. More information is available here.