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INTRODUCTION

The statistics included in this publication present information on access to, and usage of, computers and the Internet in private households in Australia. The publication presents results from the Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology (SETIT), conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) between April and August 2001 and the General Social Survey (GSS), conducted by the ABS between March and July 2002.


SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

• In 2002, 61% of Australian households had access to a computer at home (up from 44% of households in 1998) and 46% of Australian households had home Internet access (up from 16% of households in 1998).

HOUSEHOLD INTERNET AND COMPUTER ACCESS

• In 2002, 66% of Australian adults used a computer. The percentage of adults who used a computer was still growing, albeit relatively slowly from 60% in 1998. Adults were most likely to use a computer at home.

COMPUTER USE BY SITE

• The number of adults using the Internet continues to grow strongly though the rate of growth is slowing. In 2002, 58% of Australian adults accessed the Internet, rising from 31% of adults in 1998. Access to the Internet at home has shown particularly strong growth during this period, from 13% of adults in 1998 to 43% of adults in 2002. As for computers, adults were most likely to access the Internet from home.

INTERNET USE BY SITE

• In 2002, the Internet was used by 23% of adults to pay bills or transfer funds (up from 17% in 2001), 21% of adults used the Internet to access government services (up from 16% in 2001) and 15% of adults shopped via the Internet (up from 11% in 2001).

SERVICES ACCESSED VIA THE INTERNET

• The number of Internet shoppers has increased by 34% since 2001 and the amount they are spending has also grown markedly. The percentage of shoppers spending up to $500 via the Internet decreased from 61% in 2001 to 46% in 2002, while those who spent over $1,000 increased from 19% in 2001 to 34% in 2002. Internet shoppers spent around $1.9 billion in 2001, which rose to at least $4 billion in 2002. Travel/accommodation was the most common purchase via the Internet.

VALUE OF PURCHASES OR ORDERS VIA THE INTERNET

• The number of home computers

• Other technologies used by households, including mobile phones

• Reasons why households were without computers or Internet access

• Purposes for which adults use computers or the Internet at home

• Types of goods or services purchased or ordered via the Internet and the number of purchases

• Types of government services accessed via the Internet

• Technologies that allow wage and salary earners to work from home