Understanding the UK's online and offline consumers

Internet use among the UK's consumers has almost doubled in the past 15 years, increasing from 40% to 78% of the population. That growth has now steadied with an additional two million users going online each year, but there are still 20% of the population who remain offline completely.

Consumer insight organisation TGI profiles the UK's online and offline consumers, according to age, class, region and income, to reveal their media consumption and responses to different channels.

Key findings include

• 68% of UK consumers are on broadband with average speeds of 5Mb a second.
• The frequency of internet use has increased from about 30% of people logging on every day 10 years ago to 70% now.
• Time spent online has gone up from 18% claiming to spend 20 hours a month on the internet 10 years ago to 41% now; Facebook is reckoned to take up 20% of all time spent online.  
• Online’s share of media time has risen dramatically to 32%.
• There are now more over 55s online than there are under 25s.
• 20% of the population remain offline completely and about half of those are over 65.
• Of the UK's offline population, 50% rent rather than own their homes, 60% are out of work and 50% are claiming benefit.
• People in the offline audience are heavier consumers of traditional media but split between TV and print.

This presentation was given at the Targeting the digitally disadvantaged workshop at the Mail Media Centre on 13 July 2010. Contact us to find out about similar future events.