Scottish Household Survey 2021 - telephone survey: key findings

A summary of the key findings from the Scottish Household Survey 2021 telephone survey.


4. Internet

Internet access

The proportion of households in Scotland with internet access was higher in 2021 (96%) than in 2020 (93%). Household internet access increased with net annual household income (Table 4.1). Home internet access for households with a net annual income of between £6,001 and £10,000 was 81% in 2021, compared with 100% of households with a net annual income of over £40,000. Access differed by area of deprivation (Table 4.2): 93% of households in the 20% most deprived Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) areas in Scotland had internet access at home compared with 99% of households in the 20% least deprived areas. Internet access also varied by tenure (Table 4.3): 88% of those in social rented housing had internet access compared with 98% of households who owned their home.

Internet use

More than 9 in 10 adults (95%) in Scotland use the internet either for work or personal use, an increase from 92% in 2020. Notably, there has been a significant increase in internet use amongst older adults (Table 4.6), with 91% of those aged between 60 and 74, and 71% of those aged 75 and over, now using the internet. There are lower rates of internet use among older adults than among younger adults. In 2021, 100% of adults aged 16-24 reported using the internet compared to 71% of those aged 75+. The percentage of adults who do not use the internet was higher for those living in the 20% most deprived areas than for those in the 20% least deprived areas in Scotland (Table 4.9). Internet use also increased with income (Table 4.8).

Where and how users access the internet

Almost all (99%) adults who use the internet access it at home, followed by 73% who access the internet on the move using a mobile phone or tablet (Table 4.11). The proportion of internet users reporting that they access the internet using a smartphone increased from 86% in 2020 to 89% in 2021 (Table 4.12), which was greater than the proportion who accessed the internet using a PC or laptop (76%). Younger internet users were more likely to access the internet using a smartphone than older users, with 98% of 16-24 year olds using smartphones compared with 48% of adults aged 75+. Older internet users were more likely than younger users to use a tablet to access the internet. Of those who do not use the internet for personal use, the most common reason that could convince people to go online was keeping in touch with family and friends at no extra cost, however this was only reported by 7% of this group, with 90% saying none of the reasons provided could convince them to use the internet (Table 4.18).

Online safety and security

The most common online security measures taken by adults who make use of the internet were avoiding opening emails or attachments from unknown people (85%) and avoiding giving personal information online (83%). A higher proportion of internet users who were older (Table 4.19) answered that they adopted none of the online security measures mentioned.

Contact

Email: shs@gov.scot

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