Over one third of people who use the internet every day are almost constantly online, new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has revealed.
The latest information on internet coverage and usage in Ireland comes following the publication of the CSO's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey.
According to the survey, 95 per cent of internet users use a smartphone or mobile phone to go online, while 75 per cent use a laptop.
The research also found that, in 2021, over 25 per cent of people aged 16-29 used the internet all the time.
More than one third of daily internet users are almost constantly onlinehttps://t.co/9kjZsaKtME #CSOIreland #Ireland #Internet #InternetUsage #WorkingFromHome #InternetSecurity #InternetPurchase #ICTSkills #Households #Connectivity #InternetUsage #Coverage pic.twitter.com/WhgkNAYyMP
— Central Statistics Office Ireland (@CSOIreland) December 14, 2021
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When looking at household internet connectivity by region, Dublin scored the highest with 96 per cent. Household internet access was mainly via fixed broadband with Dublin having the highest fixed broadband connection at 92 per cent.
Meanwhile, Border and mid-west regions both scored 89 per cent for internet connectivity.
Commenting on the report, Maureen Delamere, statistician with the CSO, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped Irish life in so many ways, not least in terms of the frequency of usage of ICT and how we use it.
"Our everyday lives are becoming far more digital, and in 2021, we were online more than ever, working from home and relying on technology and digital services," she added.
"As our lives have become more digital, we are accessing the internet more frequently on a daily basis.
"Of daily internet users, more than one-third (35 per cent) use it all the time or nearly all the time, up six percentage points on 2020.
"In 2021, more than half (54 per cent) of younger persons aged 16 to 29 years used the internet almost constantly – 26 per cent used it all the time, while a further 28 per cent used it nearly all the time. Students were the most frequent users of the internet in 2021.
"Nearly all students (96 per cent) used the internet every day or almost every day. Of these daily internet users, 46 per cent used the internet several times a day while a further 36 per cent of students used the internet nearly all the time and nearly one in 10 (9 per cent) used the internet all the time."
According to the CSO, 51 per cent of households with no internet access said they did not need it, while 36 per cent cited a lack of skills or knowledge for not having it.
Nearly one in 10 households with no internet access stated that broadband internet was not available in their area.
