from DSSResources.comOver three-quarters of all U.S. adults - an estimated 172 million - go onlineROCHESTER, N.Y., May 24, 2006 -- According to the latest Harris Poll, the number of adults who are online at home, in the office, at school, library or other locations continues to grow at a steady rate. In the past year, the number of online users has reached an estimated 172 million(1), a five percent increase. In research among 2,032 U.S. adults surveyed by telephone in February and April 2006, Harris Interactive(R) found that 77 percent of adults are now online, up from 74 percent in February/April 2005, 66 percent in the spring of 2002, 64 percent in 2001 and 57 percent in spring of 2000. When Harris Interactive first began to track Internet use in 1995, only nine percent of adults reported they went online. Internet access increases at home and at work The proportion of adults who are now online at home has risen to 70 percent, up from 66 percent in 2005 and 55 percent in the spring of 2002. The percentage of those online at work has not really changed (35% now, 36% in 2005) yet is still up from 30 percent in the spring of 2002. Adults who are online at a location other than their home or work also remains steady at 22 percent (21% in 2005, 19% in the spring of 2002). The demographic profile of Internet users in the United States looks like the country as a whole As Internet penetration rises, the demographic profile of Internet users continues to look more like that of the nation as a whole. It is still true that more young than older people, and more affluent than low-income people, are online. However, eight percent of those online are now age 65 or over (compared to 16% of all adults who are 65 or over), 39 percent of those online (compared to 47% of all adults) did not go to college and 14 percent have incomes of less than $25,000 (compared to 19% of all adults).
TABLE 1
ONLINE FROM HOME, WORK OR OTHER LOCATION - TRENDS 1995-2006
"At home, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World
Wide
Web?"
"At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
Web?"
"At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
Internet/World Wide Web?"
"Excluding email, how many hours per week, on average, do you typically spend
on the Internet or World Wide Web?"
Base: All adults
Online Adults
Average
(Mean)
Hours
Online Online at Per Week
Online at Other Spent
Total at Home Work Location Online
% % % %
2006
February/April 77 70 35 22 9
2005
February/April 74 66 36 21 9
2004
June/ August 73 65 34 17 8
2003
October/December 69 61 31 16 9
2002
November/December 67 57 28 18 7
February/March 66 55 30 19 8
2001
September/October 64 52 28 19 7
March/April 64 53 27 20 7
2000
October/November 63 49 29 17 7
April/May 57 45 24 15 7
1999
December 56 46 N/A N/A 7
1998
January/February 35 22 22 N/A N/A
1997
May/June 30 16 18 N/A N/A
1996
June/September 19 16 16 N/A N/A
1995
September/November 9 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Note: N/A means "not asked"
TABLE 2
PC AND INTERNET USE - TRENDS 1995-2006
"Do you personally use a computer at home, work or another location?"
"At home, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World
Wide
Web?"
"At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
Web?"
"At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
Internet/World Wide Web?"
Base: All adults
Proportion of All Adults (from Percent of
work, home, school or other location) Computer
Users Who Are
Use PC Are Online Online
% % %
2006
February/April 81 77 95
2005
February/April 79 74 94
2004
June/ August 78 73 93
2003
October/December 75 69 92
2002
November/December 74 67 92
February/March 74 66 90
2001
September/October 73 64 88
March/April 72 64 89
2000
October/November 74 63 85
April/May 69 57 83
1999
December 69 56 81
June/July 65 48 74
January/February 63 41 65
1998
January/February 63 35 56
1997
May/June 61 30 49
1996
June/September 54 19 35
1995
September/November 50* 9 18
Notes:
1. All samples of 2,000 or more adults, conducted by telephone.
2. "Are Online" includes all adults who use Internet from home, office,
school, library or other location.
* Estimated from other sources.
TABLE 3
PROFILE OF ONLINE POPULATION
(February-April 2006)
"At home, do you personally use a computer to Access the Internet/World Wide
Web?"
"At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
Web?"
"At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
Internet/World Wide Web?"
Base: All adults
Total U.S.
Adult Total U.S. Adult Percentage Point
Online Population* Difference
Population
% % %
AGE
18 - 29 24 21 +3
30 - 39 22 18 +4
40 - 49 22 20 +2
50+ 30 37 -7
50 - 64 22 22 0
65+ 8 16 -8
SEX
Men 49 48 +1
Women 51 52 -1
RACE/ETHNICITY
White 76 75 +1
Black 10 11 -1
Hispanic 13 13 0
EDUCATION
High school or less 39 47 -8
Some college 30 27 +3
College graduate (or 30 25 +5
postgraduate)
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $25,000 14 19 -5
$25,000 to less than
$50,000 23 24 -1
$50,000 and over 52 44 +8
* Based on data from the March 2005 U.S. Current Population Survey
TABLE 4
ESTIMATED NUMBERS OF ADULTS WHO ARE ONLINE (IN MILLIONS)
"At home, do you personally use a computer to Access the Internet/World Wide
Web?"
"At work, do you personally use a computer to access the Internet/World Wide
Web?"
"At another location, do you personally use a computer to access the
Internet/World Wide Web?"
Base: All adults
In Millions
2006
February/April 172*
2005
February/April 163
2004
June/August 156
2003
October/December 146
2002
November/December 140
February/March 137
2001
September/October 127
March/April 126
2000
October/November 121
April/May 114
1999
December 113
1998
January/February 70
1997
May/June 59
1996
June/September 33
1995
September/November 17.5
* Based on July 2005 U.S. Census estimate released January 2006
(223,000,000 total adults aged 18 or over)
Methodology The Harris Poll(R) was conducted by telephone within the United States between February 2006 (February 7 and 13, 2006) and April 2006 (April 4 and 10, 2006) among 2,032 adults (aged 18 and over). Figures for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, region, number of adults in the household, number of phone lines in the household were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. All surveys are subject to several sources of error. These include: sampling error (because only a sample of a population is interviewed); measurement error due to question wording and/or question order, deliberately or unintentionally inaccurate responses, nonresponse (including refusals), interviewer effects (when live interviewers are used) and weighting. With one exception (sampling error) the magnitude of the errors that result cannot be estimated. There is, therefore, no way to calculate a finite "margin of error" for any survey and the use of these words should be avoided. With pure probability samples, with 100 percent response rates, it is possible to calculate the probability that the sampling error (but not other sources of error) is not greater than some number. With a pure probability sample of 2,032 adults one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 2 percentage points. However that does not take other sources of error into account. These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. J23283 & J23845 About Harris Interactive(R) Harris Interactive, the 13th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world, provides clients with research-driven insights and strategic advice to help them make more confident decisions, leading to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Widely known for The Harris Poll(R) and for pioneering online market research methods, Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States (http://www.harrisinteractive.com), Europe (http://www.harrisinteractive.com/europe), and Asia offices and is supported by its a wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris (http://www.novatris.com) in Paris and an independent global network of affiliate market research companies. Harris Interactive is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and Europe operations are based in London. To become a member of the Harris Poll Online(SM) and be invited to participate in online surveys, go to http://www.harrispollonline.com. EOE M/F/D/V The Harris Poll(R) #41, May 24, 2006 By David Krane, Vice President of Harris Interactive(R) Public Policy Research. (1) Based on July 2005 U.S. Census estimate released January 2006 (223,000,000 total U.S. adults aged 18 or over).
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