Scotland's People Annual report: Results from 2009/2010 Scottish Household Survey
A National Statistics publication for Scotland, providing reliable and up-to-date information on the composition, characteristics, behaviour and attitudes of Scottish households and adults
9 Internet
Introduction and Context
The use of information and communication technologies ( ICT) play an important part in fulfilling Scotland's potential as a nation. Digital technologies - such as computers and broadband connections to the Internet - offer benefits to businesses and individuals. As part of its digital ambition [57], the Scottish Government is taking a co-ordinated and comprehensive approach to ensure that Scotland is positioned to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital age. This includes increasing digital participation to improve people's quality of life, boost economic growth and allow more effective delivery of public services.>
The Scottish Household Survey ( SHS) provides statistics on a number of relevant areas that can be used to measure progress. This chapter begins by looking at take-up of Internet and broadband by households in Scotland, with a focus on how this varies by income and area. It then looks at personal use of the Internet - including where and how the Internet is accessed - by key demographic factors, such as age and gender, health status, income and deprivation. The following section looks at reasons why adults do not use the Internet. The final part looks at use of Government and local authority websites to access information and services.
Household Internet and Broadband take up
The SHS has asked whether households currently have access to the Internet from their home every year since 2003. Figure 9.1 displays the figures for households with Internet access by quarter from 2003 to 2010. The proportion of households with home Internet access has seen a gradual increase year on year. In the first quarter of 2003, 40% of households surveyed had Internet access, which increased to 70% by the end of 2010.
Figure 9.1: Households with home Internet access by quarter
2003-2010 data, Households (base 2010: 10,313)
Home Internet access increases with net annual household income (Table 9.1), (although there is a break in the pattern for income bracket £6,001-£10,000). According to 2009/2010 data, around a third (35%) of households with incomes between £6,001-£10,000 had home Internet access, compared to 97% of households with incomes over £40,000.
Table 9.1: Households with home Internet access by net annual household income
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Households | £0 - £6,000 | £6,001 - £10,000 | £10,001 - £15,000 | £15,001 - £20,000 | £20,001 - £25,000 | £25,001 - £30,000 | £30,001 - £40,000 | £40,001+ | All |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | 46 | 35 | 46 | 64 | 78 | 85 | 92 | 97 | 68 |
No | 54 | 65 | 54 | 36 | 22 | 15 | 8 | 3 | 32 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 987 | 2,738 | 3,984 | 3,087 | 2,365 | 1,871 | 2,743 | 2,781 | 20,556 |
This question is only asked of half of the sample.
Household income in the SHS is that of the highest income householder and their partner only. Includes all adults for whom household income is known or has been imputed. Excludes refusals/don't know responses. The figures here differ from other tables due to the smaller base total.
Table 9.2 shows that households in the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland [58] are much less likely than those in the rest of Scotland to access to the Internet at home, at 52% and 69% respectively.
Table 9.2: Households with home Internet access by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Households | 15% most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
---|---|---|---|
Yes | 52 | 69 | 67 |
No | 48 | 30 | 33 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 3,072 | 18,268 | 21,340 |
This question is only asked of half of the sample.
Table 9.3 reports the prevalence of home Internet access by type of area, based on the Urban Rural Classification [59]. The proportion of households with home Internet access is higher in rural areas than in small towns and urban areas, though the difference has narrowed since 2008. Households in accessible rural areas have the highest proportion of home Internet access at 72%.
Table 9.3: Households with home Internet access by Urban Rural Classification
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Households | Large urban areas | Other urban areas | Accessible small towns | Remote small towns | Accessible rural | Remote rural | Scotland |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | 66 | 65 | 67 | 64 | 72 | 69 | 67 |
No | 34 | 35 | 33 | 36 | 28 | 30 | 33 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 7,607 | 6,293 | 1,839 | 1,161 | 2,507 | 1,934 | 21,341 |
This question is only asked of half of the sample.
Since 2007 the SHS has asked households who currently have access to the Internet from home if they have a broadband connection. The vast majority (96%) of households that have access to the Internet from home have a broadband connection [60]. The proportion of households with access to the Internet with a broadband connection has risen year on year since 2007 (from 87%).
Although broadband is now the predominant method for accessing the Internet, take up of broadband varies slightly with household income (Table 9.4). Among households who access the Internet and have a net annual income of more than £40,001, there is almost complete uptake of broadband (99%). This compares to 92% of households who access the Internet and have a net annual household income of between £6,001-£10,000.
Table 9.4: Households with an Internet connection who have broadband by net annual household income
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Households with Internet connection | £0 - £6,000 | £6,001 - £10,000 | £10,001 - £15,000 | £15,001 - £20,000 | £20,001 - £25,000 | £25,001 - £30,000 | £30,001 - £40,000 | £40,001+ | All |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | 94 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 95 | 96 | 98 | 99 | 96 |
No | 6 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
Total | 100 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 442 | 945 | 1,817 | 1,946 | 1,837 | 1,597 | 2,535 | 2,701 | 13,820 |
Totals do not sum to 100 as the "don't knows" have not been included.
This question is only asked of half of the sample.
Household income in the SHS is that of the highest income householder and their partner only. Includes all adults for whom household income is known or has been imputed. Excludes refusals/don't know responses.
More than nine out of ten households in Scotland who access the Internet at home have a broadband connection, regardless of the level of deprivation or rurality of the area. Broadband uptake rates are very similar among Internet using households in the 15% most deprived of areas of Scotland (at 94%) compared to the rest of Scotland (at 96%) (Table 9.5). Take up of broadband is lowest for remote rural areas, at 92%, compared to 96% in large urban areas (Table 9.6).
Table 9.5: Households with an Internet connection who have broadband by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Households with Internet connection | 15% most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
---|---|---|---|
Yes | 94 | 96 | 96 |
No | 5 | 4 | 4 |
Total | 99 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 1,598 | 12,589 | 14,187 |
Totals do not sum to 100 as the "don't knows" have not been included.
This question is only asked of half of the sample.
Table 9.6: Households with an Internet connection who have broadband by Urban Rural Classification
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Households with Internet connection | Large urban areas | Other urban areas | Accessible small towns | Remote small towns | Accessible rural | Remote rural | Scotland |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | 96 | 96 | 96 | 93 | 95 | 92 | 96 |
No | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 |
Total | 99 | 99 | 100 | 98 | 100 | 99 | 100 |
Base | 5,002 | 4,086 | 1,229 | 732 | 1,789 | 1,350 | 14,188 |
Totals do not sum to 100 as the "don't knows" have not been included.
This question is only asked of half of the sample.
Personal Internet Use
In addition to the questions on household take up of Internet and broadband, the SHS asks a randomly selected adult in the household whether they personally use the Internet these days, either for work or personal use. Overall, 73% of adults surveyed said that they used the Internet. Just 1% of those said that they only used it for work purposes, suggesting that the majority of users make use of the Internet, at least sometimes, for personal purposes.
The following section focuses on those who do not use the Internet at all, as the barriers to future use are arguably greatest amongst these groups. Overall, 27% of adults surveyed in 2009/2010 did not use the Internet at all, which is a decrease from the figure of 33% reported in 2007/2008.
Table 9.7 shows differences in use of the Internet by gender and age. Overall, a higher proportion of women (30%) do not use the Internet compared to men (25%). The main differences between genders are among those aged 60 or older, with very little difference in the proportion of male and female non-users of the Internet in the younger age groups. Indeed, there is a clear linear relationship between age and use of the Internet, with lower levels of use among older respondents. Just 6% of men and 7% of women aged 16 to 24 do not use the Internet, whereas the corresponding figures for those aged 75 and over are 79% and 89% respectively.
Table 9.7: Use of Internet by age within gender
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults | 16 to 24 | 25 to 34 | 35 to 44 | 45 to 59 | 60 to 74 | 75 plus | All |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Men | |||||||
Internet user | 94 | 90 | 87 | 77 | 54 | 21 | 75 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 6 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 46 | 79 | 25 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 914 | 1,384 | 1,863 | 2,885 | 2,670 | 1,210 | 10,926 |
Women | |||||||
Internet user | 93 | 92 | 88 | 78 | 44 | 11 | 70 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 7 | 8 | 12 | 22 | 56 | 89 | 30 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 1,146 | 1,974 | 2,320 | 3,213 | 3,333 | 2,070 | 14,056 |
Over half of those who have some form of a long-term illness, health problem or disability do not use the Internet, compared with 19% of those who do not have any of these conditions (Table 9.8). There is a very strong correlation between health status and age, so this could be, at least in part, a reflection of the relatively low levels of Internet use among older people, who are also more likely to have a long-term illness, health problem and/or disability.
For the youngest age group (16-24 year olds), having either a disability or long-standing illness does not impact to a great extent upon Internet use: 9% of those with a disability only and 7% of those with a long-standing illness did not use the Internet compared to 6% who had neither a disability or long-standing illness. However, when the respondents in this age group had both a disability and a long-standing illness the likelihood of them not using the Internet increased to 13%. Overall, prevalence of not using the Internet is generally highest where adults have both a disability and a long-term illness.
Table 9.8: Use of Internet by whether has a long-standing limiting, illness, health problem or disability by age group
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults | Has disability (only) | Has a long-term illness (only) | Has both disability and a long-term illness | Has neither disability or long term illness | All |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 to 24 (base 2,048) | |||||
Internet user | 91 | 93 | 87 | 94 | 94 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 9 | 7 | 13 | 6 | 6 |
25 to 34 (base 3,353) | |||||
Internet user | 70 | 81 | 85 | 92 | 91 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 30 | 19 | 15 | 8 | 9 |
35 to 44 (base 4,174) | |||||
Internet user | 66 | 71 | 74 | 91 | 88 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 34 | 29 | 26 | 9 | 12 |
45 to 59 (base 6,083) | |||||
Internet user | 57 | 63 | 56 | 83 | 77 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 43 | 37 | 44 | 17 | 23 |
60 to 74 (base 5,991) | |||||
Internet user | 32 | 40 | 33 | 56 | 48 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 68 | 60 | 67 | 44 | 52 |
75 plus (base 3,279) | |||||
Internet user | 13 | 12 | 10 | 21 | 15 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 87 | 88 | 90 | 79 | 85 |
All (base 24,928) | |||||
Internet user | 43 | 50 | 42 | 81 | 73 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 57 | 50 | 58 | 19 | 27 |
As with the previous data presented on household Internet use, there are also differences in the use of the Internet by net annual household income (Table 9.9). In general, the proportion of adults who use the Internet increases as net annual income increases (with the exception of those living in households with a net annual income of under £6,000). Only 4% of adults surveyed who lived in a household with a net annual income in excess of £40,000 did not use the Internet.
Table 9.9: Use of the Internet by net annual household income
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults | £0 - £6,000 | £6,001 - £10,000 | £10,001 - £15,000 | £15,001 - £20,000 | £20,001 - £25,000 | £25,001 - £30,000 | £30,001 - £40,000 | £40,001+ | All |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Internet user | 59 | 45 | 50 | 65 | 76 | 84 | 90 | 96 | 73 |
Does not use the Internet at all | 41 | 55 | 50 | 35 | 24 | 16 | 10 | 4 | 27 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 1,174 | 3,301 | 4,869 | 3,654 | 2,752 | 2,149 | 3,090 | 3,106 | 24,095 |
Household income in the SHS is that of the highest income householder and their partner only. Includes all adults for whom household income is known or has been imputed. Excludes refusals/don't know responses.
A higher proportion of adults living in the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland do not use the Internet (41%) compared to those living in the rest of the country (25%) (Table 9.10).
Table 9.10: Use of the Internet by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults | 15% most deprived | Rest of Scotland | Scotland |
---|---|---|---|
Personal / work | 58 | 74 | 71 |
Work only | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Does not use | 41 | 25 | 27 |
Total | 100 | 100 | 100 |
Base | 3,622 | 21,344 | 24,966 |
Where and how users access the Internet
The ways in which people access the Internet are becoming increasingly diverse and complex. Since 2007 the SHS has asked adults who personally use the Internet about the location where they access it and which methods they used. Table 9.11 shows that the majority (94%) of adults who use the Internet access it at home, followed by at work (21%). Seven per cent said that they accessed the Internet whilst on the move, for example using a mobile phone. There appears to be a relationship between age and accessing the Internet on the move, with 13% of users aged 16-24 accessing the Internet on the move, compared to 2% of users aged 60-74.
Table 9.11: Where adults who use the Internet access it for personal use
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults who make personal use of the internet | |
---|---|
At home | 94 |
At work | 21 |
School, college, university, other educational institution | 8 |
At another persons home | 7 |
Mobile phone/ WAP/on the move | 7 |
Public library | 4 |
Internet café or shop | 2 |
A government/council office | 0 |
Community or voluntary centre/organisation | 0 |
Somewhere else | 1 |
Don't know | 0 |
Base | 7,943 |
Columns may add to more than 100% since multiple responses allowed
Over the four years when this question has been asked, there has been little change in the proportion of Internet users accessing the Internet from most of these locations. A notable exception is that year on year there has been an increase in the proportion accessing the Internet on the move, from 2% in 2007 to 7% in 2010.
There also appears to be a relationship between household annual net income and where users access the Internet for personal use. Adult Internet users in lower income households are less likely to access the Internet from home or work, but more likely to access it from a public library than those in higher income households (Table 9.12).
Table 9.12: Where adults who use the Internet access it for personal use by annual net income
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults who make personal use of the internet | £0 - £6,000 | £6,001 - £10,000 | £10,001 -£15,000 | £15,001 - £20,000 | £20,001 - £25,000 | £25,001 - £30,000 | £30,001 - £40,000 | £40,001+ | All |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
At home | 89 | 84 | 85 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 97 | 99 | 94 |
At another persons home | 6 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 7 |
At work | 4 | 4 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 22 | 25 | 36 | 21 |
School, college, university, other educational institution | 25 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
A government/council office | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Community or voluntary centre/organisation | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Internet café or shop | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Mobile phone/ WAP/on the move | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 7 |
Public library | 6 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
Somewhere else | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Don't know | - | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 0 |
Base | 265 | 638 | 1,036 | 1,113 | 977 | 884 | 1,369 | 1,437 | 7,719 |
Columns may add to more than 100% since multiple responses allowed
The SHS also asks about methods used to access the Internet for personal use. Nearly all Internet users (99%) used a personal computer or laptop, although 16% had used other devices, such as through the television (digital, cable or satellite), telephone (a mobile or Smartphone), or a games console ( e.g.PS2 or xBox) (Table 9.13). Use of alternative methods to access the Internet appears to be more prevalent amongst younger age groups, with 29% of 16-24 year old Internet users using alternative methods, compared to only 3% of Internet users aged 75 and over.
Table 9.13: Which methods are used to access the Internet for personal use by age
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults who make personal use of the internet | 16-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-59 | 60-74 | 75+ | All |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A personal computer or laptop | 98 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 100 | 99 |
Another way | 29 | 21 | 14 | 11 | 4 | 3 | 16 |
Base | 908 | 1,493 | 1,803 | 2,206 | 1,298 | 235 | 7,943 |
Columns may add to more than 100% since multiple responses allowed
Why people do not use the Internet
The SHS asked adults who make no personal use of the Internet the reasons why they did not (Table 9.14). Among the most common responses were reasons related to people's preferences or requirements, with 28% saying they did not like using the Internet/computers, 25% saying they did not need to use the Internet/computers and 14% saying there is nothing of interest on the Internet. Not knowing how to use a computer appears to be another common reason for not using the Internet: around a quarter of non-users (24%) said that they did not know how to use a computer, and a further 8% said that it would be too difficult to learn to use the Internet. Cost also seems to be an issue, with 13% saying that they could not afford a computer and 4% saying that an Internet connection would be too expensive.
Table 9.14: Reasons why people might not use the Internet (other than work)
Percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults who make no personal use of the internet | |
---|---|
I don't like using the internet or computers | 28 |
I don't need to use the internet or computers | 25 |
I don't know how to use a computer | 24 |
There's nothing of interest to me on the internet | 14 |
I can't afford a computer | 13 |
It would be too difficult to learn how to use the internet | 8 |
I prefer to do things in person rather than use computers | 7 |
Internet connection would be too expensive | 4 |
I am concerned about privacy e.g. keeping credit card or personal details safe | 4 |
I have a disability or illness that prevents me | 2 |
I am worried about the unsuitable or inappropriate material on the internet | 2 |
Other reason | 9 |
Base | 4,508 |
Columns may add to more than 100% since multiple responses allowed
There were few notable differences in the reasons given by men and women, or by people who have a disability and/or long term-illness for not using the Internet compared to adults overall. The small base numbers of younger adults who did not use the Internet make it difficult to analyse differences by age group, although a higher proportion of 16-34 year olds mentioned the cost of a computer or Internet connection compared to other age groups. Cost was also mentioned by a higher proportion of non-users within the 15% most deprived areas of Scotland than in the rest of Scotland, and by people from households with lower annual net incomes.
The SHS asked those who did not use the Internet for personal use whether they would like to use the Internet one day. Around six out of ten (62%) answered no.
Use of Local Authority and Government Websites
It is possible to access an increasing number of public services and information online. Online services and information can be quicker and more convenient for people to use, and can be provided at a lower cost than other methods. However, a person's use of websites to access public services is dependent both upon them having access to the Internet and their tendency to access information or services online. The SHS explored the part played by ICT-based public service delivery by asking which, if any, things the respondent had ever used their local council website and (non-specified) government websites for.
Table 9.15 presents the proportions of respondents who have ever used a local council or government website. The figures for all adults help present a fuller picture of the use of these websites, as they take into account the fact that 27% of adults surveyed did not use the Internet. It should be noted that these figures do not take account whether people have actually needed to access information or use these services in the first place (for example, only car owners require road tax and few people each year need to renew their passport).
When looking at Internet users specifically, around half have made no use of either local authority websites (51%) or government websites (50%). Since 2007 this figure has fluctuated around the 50% mark (with a maximum of 4 percentage points difference in either direction). Among those who had used local authority websites, the most common reasons were to find information or download a form. In contrast, only a very small proportion (1%) had ever participated in a discussion forum using local authority websites.
Table 9.15: Use (ever) of public services on the Internet
Column percentages, 2009/2010 data
Adults | Internet users | All adults |
---|---|---|
Local authority website | ||
Finding information | 40 | 34 |
Download a form | 13 | 11 |
Make a complaint | 5 | 4 |
Ask a question | 7 | 6 |
Participate in a discussion forum | 1 | 1 |
Access services like report a fault, renew library books, planning applications | 8 | 7 |
Make payment like council tax or parking fine | 8 | 7 |
Some other purpose | 8 | 7 |
Any purpose | 49 | 41 |
None of these | 51 | 32 |
Do not use the Internet | - | 28 |
Base | 19,498 | 24,789 |
Government website | ||
Apply for road tax | 31 | 26 |
Complete income tax assessment | 7 | 6 |
Register to vote | 6 | 5 |
Look for information: health services | 15 | 12 |
Look for information: healthy living/health | 10 | 9 |
Apply for/renew TV licence | 14 | 12 |
Apply for benefits | 4 | 3 |
Renew passport | 10 | 8 |
Other | 8 | 7 |
Any purpose | 50 | 41 |
None of these | 50 | 31 |
Do not use the Internet | - | 28 |
Base | 9,764 | 12,349 |
Columns may add to more than 100% since multiple responses were allowed.
The question on use of government websites was only asked of half the sample.
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