Scottish household survey 2017: key findings

Internet

Home internet access in Scotland is high and continuing to increase.

85% of Scottish households reported having internet access at home in 2017, an increase from 42% in 2003.

In 2017 most of homes (85%) had access to the internet.

Internet access varied by income

Home internet access varied with income, with those on the lowest incomes being less likely to have home internet access.

Internet access by area deprivation

Households in Scotland’s most deprived areas continue to be less likely to have home internet access than those in less deprived areas, but the gap has narrowed in recent years.

Internet Use

Only one in seven adults did not use the internet in 2017, compared to one in six in 2016.

In 2017, one in seven (14%) adults did not use the internet.

Percentage of adults who used the internet varied by age

Internet usage varied with Age, with older adults continuing to be less likely to use the internet.

Percentage of adults who did not use the internet varied by area deprivation

As with home internet access, internet use also varied by area deprivation although the gap has narrowed in recent years. In the 20% most deprived areas in Scotland 19% of adults reported not using the internet in 2017, compared with 7% in the 20% least deprived areas.