Chapter 10: Education - Equality and Human Rights Commission

Chapter 10: Education 369
10.8 What we know about use
of the internet
Measure:
Percentage who have had access to the internet within the last 3 months
How this measure works:
Data for this measure are available for the UK from the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) Opinions Survey (2009).
The Office for National Statistics Opinions Survey provides data on age, gender
and socio-economic groups. Data are not available for disability and ethnicity,
but general literature has been drawn on to indicate some possible issues
that these groups may face. Very limited related literature for this measure
is available by religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender, therefore
these groups are not covered in this section. The measure recommended by the
Equality Measurement Framework focused on use of the internet. However, as
available data for use were limited, internet access is being used as a proxy for
this measure.
Overview
Chapter 10
30% of the UK population are unable to access the internet in their
homes. 181 Almost all adults (95%) aged under 70 who had a degree or equivalent
qualification were estimated to live in a household with internet access. Those
who had no formal qualifications were least likely to have an internet connection,
at 52%.
Access to the internet varies dramatically with age, from 96% of 16-24-
year-olds to just 30% of over-65s. 182 Although older age groups are at the centre of
the recent growth in internet access, they are also most at risk of non-usage.
There are no large differences in internet use by ethnic group. Among
Indian, Pakistani and Black African groups, those with lower socio-economic
status use the internet more than other ethnic groups in those socio-economic
categories.
181
Office for National Statistics (ONS) 2009. Internet Access Households and
Individuals. Statistical Bulletin. Available at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/
pdfdir/iahi0809.pdf Accessed 18/08/2010.
182
ONS 2009.