Survey shows increase of Cypriot households using PC and internet

The percentage of Cypriot households with access to a computer keeps increasing, reaching 56,3% in 2008, compared to 53,1% in 2007, according to an annual survey conducted by the Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus.
The survey, entitled “Information and Communication Technologies Usage in Households and by Individuals 2008”, was carried out for the fifth consecutive year in all member states of the European Union.
The survey covered 1.599 households and 3.754 individuals 16 – 74 years old. It covered all the government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus, urban and rural (the islands’ northern part are under Turkish occupation and the government is prevented from exercising its jurisdiction in those areas due to the continuing Turkish occupation). The data was collected with personal interviews.
The survey showed that the percentage of households with access to a computer keeps increasing, reaching 56,3% in 2008, compared to 53,1% in 2007.
A computer is found in 81,1% of households with dependent children, while in households where there are no dependent children the percentage is only 42,7%.
The Internet access in households continues to increase. In the first quarter of 2008, the Internet was accessed at least once in 42,9% of the households, compared to 38,9% in 2007.
Over the past years there has been a steady increase in broadband connections and a simultaneous decrease in narrowband connections (Modem, ISDN). 76,8% of the households with Internet access have a broadband connection
According to the data, there are mainly two reasons for households not having an Internet connection. Firstly, individuals in those households believe that they do not need the Internet and secondly the lack of skills (52,3% and 41,2% of the households without access to the Internet respectively).
An increase was observed in the individuals that used the Internet during the first quarter of the year from 38,1% in 2007 to 38,8% in 2008.
Individuals 16 – 24 years old (64,6%) and students (78,1%) are the more frequent Internet users.
The survey showed that men are using the Internet more frequently than women. Frequent users among men and women are 38,9% and 31,9% respectively.
The most popular Internet activities among Cypriots are finding information about goods or services and sending or receiving e-mails.
Among individuals using the Internet, 37,7% are using instant messaging for communication with others and 19,6% are making telephone calls over the Internet.
38,1% of Internet users downloads or listens to music from the Internet.
Also, the survey showed that 90,6% of Cypriots 16-74 years old used a mobile phone in 2008.
The percentage of individuals making online orders remained at low levels during 2008. Only 6,8% of Cypriots made orders of goods or services for private use over the Internet during the first quarter of 2008.
Tickets for travel and holiday accommodation was what most of the people order over the Internet. 34,3% of Cypriots who ordered goods or services over the Internet in the past 12 months, ordered tickets for travel and holiday accommodation.