Compared to 2020, in 2021 the share of households using broadband Internet connection has increased by 1.9 percentage points. If last year it comprised 87.6 % of households, this year it is 89.5 %.
Mostly broadband Internet connection is used in Riga and Kurzeme region 91.7 % and 90.1 %, respectively, but the least – in Latgale (84.3 %) and, compared to 2020, it is a rise of 4 percentage points. In urban areas broadband Internet connection is available to 90.7 % of households, but in rural areas – to 87.1 % of households, and over a year its availability in rural areas has grown by 2.8 percentage points.
Females use Internet on a regular basis more often than males, 90 % and 89.3 %, respectively. In turn, population with higher education use Internet on a regular basis more often (98 %) than population with secondary (86 %) or basic education (88 %).
The largest share of regular Internet users is in Riga (92.8 %), in Pierīga Internet is used on a regular basis by 89.6 % of population, but in Zemgale it is slightly smaller – 89.4 %, in Kurzeme and Vidzeme share of regular Internet users is 88.4 % and 88.3 %, respectively, but the smallest – in Latgale (84.5 %). In urban areas share of Internet users is larger than in rural areas – 91.1 % and 89.6 %, respectively.
In age group 16-24 years old 99 % of young people use Internet on a regular basis, in age group 25-54 years – 96.3 %, but in age group 55-74 years – 75.9 % of population.
The most popular device where Internet is used is smart phone or mobile telephone – in 2021, 79 % of population indicated that use this device to access the Internet, 50.2 % used portable computer or laptop, but desktop (stationary) computer is used to access the Internet by 36.3 % of population.
The annual survey on the use of ICT in households was carried out in the first half of 2021 with co-financing of the European Union. The aim of the project is to acquire qualitative and internationally comparable statistical information on the use of Internet, and it covered 5,561 individuals aged 16 to 74 years.
