Online use continues to grow - social differences remain
The latest report from the Net-Metrix-Base Internet study shows that Internet use among the Swiss population continues to rise. While an increasing number of older people are also using the Internet, differences based on socioeconomic characteristics persist.
84 percent of all people aged 14 and over in Switzerland and Liechtenstein use the Internet. This represents an increase of three percent compared to the previous year and almost a doubling within 10 years.
Women and senior citizens in particular have caught up. At the beginning of the survey in 1999, only a good third of women and only 10 percent of those over 60 used the Internet. Today, there is hardly any gender difference among Internet users (52 percent men, 48 percent women). In addition, half of the over-60s are already active on the Web.
While the differences between genders and generations continue to narrow, they remain with regard to other characteristics such as educational level and income. A gap is particularly evident in terms of income: Around half of all people in the lowest-income stratum of the population (household income up to 4,000 Swiss francs per month) use the Internet. Among the highest earners (over 15,000 francs per month), almost all (98 percent) belong to the widest user group. This difference remains relatively stable compared to previous years, despite the general increase in online usage.
The Net-Metrix-Base study is published twice a year and provides basic information on the development of Internet usage in Switzerland and Liechtenstein since 1999. The data is based on telephone surveys. Around 23,500 telephone interviews are conducted each year.
