Nearly 9 out of 10 Latvian households now have Internet

Take note – story published 4 years ago

According to the results of a Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) survey on use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in Latvian households, the share of households having access to the Internet continues to increase, and in 2019 it comprised 85.4 % of households.

Compared to the previous year, in 2019 the share of households using broadband Internet connections has increased by 4.5 %. If in 2018 a broadband Internet connection was used by 78.8 % of households, in 2019 this number reached 83.3 %.

Mostly broadband Internet connections are used in Riga region (87.2 %), but the least – in Latgale (76 %). In Pierīga, Vidzeme, Kurzeme, Zemgale it is available in 81.3 % to 85.9 % of households. Broadband Internet connection is used the most in urban areas, where it is used in 85.5 % of households, but in rural areas this indicator comprises 77.9 %.

Internet connections by region, 2019
Internet connections by region, 2019

In 14.3 % of households Internet is not used, of which number 62.6 % indicate that they do not need it. Next reasons for not using the Internet are lack of skills (36.2 %) and too high costs of devices (24.8 %). But 1.7 % indicate that the Internet is not used because a broadband Internet connection is not available at the place where household is located.

In 2019, as compared to the previous year, the number of regular Internet users (using the Internet at least once a week) increased by 2.5 %. In 2018, the Internet was used on a regular basis by 81.2 % of population, in 2019 – by 83.7 %. Compared to 2010, this indicator has risen by 21.2 %.

In 2019 the most popular device used to access the Internet outside home or work is a cellphone, which is used by 75.5 % of population. 14.4 % indicated that they use a portable computer, and 9.1 % a tablet.

53.8 % of the population uses the Internet to purchase goods and services. Compared to the previous year, this indicator has grown by 0.8 %. But still 46.2 % of population indicate that they have not made purchases over the Internet during the last year. 11.3 % of population refrained from purchasing goods or services over the Internet due to payment security and privacy concerns.

The survey on ICT usage in households was conducted at the beginning of 2019 and covered 5 219 people aged 16–74.

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