During 2013, 78.8 per cent of households in Malta and Gozo had access to the Internet. The proportion of Internet users accessing the Internet on a daily basis stood at 85.5 per cent, the National Statistics Office said today.
An estimated 80.3 per cent of households had computer access last year, while 78.8 per cent also benefited from Internet access. The highest share of Internet access in households was registered in the Northern Harbour district (83.0 per cent), while the lowest proportion was recorded in Gozo and Comino (73.1 per cent).
During the first quarter of 2013, 70.3 per cent of individuals aged between 16 and 74 used computers, while 68.9 per cent used the Internet. The highest degree of computer and Internet use was registered within the 16 to 24 age cohort, while older persons (65-74) still recorded the lowest level of computer and Internet use.
From the respondents who used the Internet during the first quarter of 2013, 85.5 per cent did so on a daily basis. Furthermore, 62.4 per cent also made use of a mobile internet connection while away from home.
Internet was mainly used to access information and for communication purposes. The number of Internet users who made use of e-government services during 2013 stood at 45.7 per cent, or 22.2 per cent lower than 2012. The majority of e-government users were males and fell within the 35 to 44 age cohorts.
E-Commerce activities were estimated at 66.3 per cent, equivalent to an increase of 5.6 percentage points over 2012. Clothing and sports goods were the mostly acquired items over the Internet (59.7 per cent). These were followed by shares for purchases of reading material and holiday accommodation at 29.8 and 29.1 per cent respectively.
The survey showed that 91.7 per cent of people who used the Internet at least once in their life know how to use a search engine. On the other hand, only 10.6 per cent of respondents said they knew how to create a web page.
This survey also provided information on perceived e-skills of individuals, showing that 90.6 per cent of individuals believed they were able to communicate over the Internet, while 75.1 per cent felt capable to protect personal data.