1377.0 - Measures of a Knowledge-based Economy and Society, Australia, 2003  
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Contents >> Information and Communications Technology Indicators >> Proportion of households with access to the Internet by type of household, state or territory and broad region

CHARACTERISTIC: HOUSEHOLD AND INDIVIDUAL USE OF ICT

INDICATOR: Proportion of households with access to the Internet by type of household, state and broad region

The percentage of Australian households with access to the Internet at home has increased strongly, rising from 16% in 1998 to 53% in 2003. Households with children under 15 years of age or located in capital city areas were more likely to have Internet access than those without children under 15 years of age or located in the balance of state areas.

HOUSEHOLDS WITH ACCESS TO THE INTERNET(a)
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
%
%
%
%
%
%
Households
Without children aged under 15
14
18
28
37
40
47
With children aged under 15
20
29
43
54
59
68

State or territory
New South Wales
18
22
32
45
48
54
Victoria
15
23
34
43
46
54
Queensland
15
20
31
40
42
52
South Australia
12
19
29
37
43
48
Western Australia
15
22
34
41
48
53
Tasmania
10
18
25
31
35
41
Northern Territory(b)
16
30
35
38
48
np
Australian Capital Territory
27
34
46
60
60
66

Region
Metropolitan areas
19
25
36
47
50
56
Ex–metropolitan areas
10
15
26
34
39
47

Total
16
22
32
42
46
53
(a) Proportions are of all households in each category.
(b) Northern Territory estimates for 2003 are included in the total and other classifications but cannot be shown separately.
np not available for publication but included in totals where applicable, unless otherwise indicated.
Source: ABS Household Use of Information Technology, Australia (cat. no. 8146.0).



HOUSEHOLDS WITH ACCESS TO THE INTERNET BY BROAD REGION, 1998–2003
Graph–Households with access to the Internet by broad region, 1998–2003

Source: ABS Household Use of Information Technology, Australia (cat. no. 8146.0).


STATISTICAL NOTES

Household data are from the ABS Household Use of Information Technology Survey. Up to 2000 data was collected as part of the ABS Population Survey Monitor (PSM) in 2001 as part of the Survey of Education, Training and Information Technology (SETIT) in 2002 as part of the General Social Survey (GSS) and in 2003 as part of the Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers (SDAC).

It should be noted that counts of people or households with Internet access are not the same as counts of household ISP subscribers (because subscribers may have accounts with more than one ISP and conversely an ISP subscriber account may provide Internet access and email addresses for several people/households). Growth patterns may therefore differ from those shown in the related indicator Number of household ISP subscribers.

Internet
A world-wide collection of computers which are linked together to form a repository of stored information and to provide a range of communication services. These services include, but are not limited to, the World Wide Web (WWW), email and extranet.

Household
A household is defined as a group of one or more persons in a private dwelling who consider themselves to be separate from other persons in the dwelling, and who make regular provisions to take meals separately from those other persons. Lodgers who receive accommodation and meals are not treated as separate households. A household may consist of any number of family and non-family members.

Capital city
Capital city refers to capital city statistical divisions. These delimit an area which is stable for general statistical purposes. The boundary is defined to contain anticipated development of the city for a period of 20 years. They contain more than just the urban centre, and represent the city in the wider sense.


INTERNATIONAL COMPARISONS


HOUSEHOLDS WITH ACCESS TO THE INTERNET 2002 (a)
Graph–Households with access to the internet, 2002(a)
Source:OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2003, Towards a knowledge-based economy, (http://www.oecd.org).



    STATISTICAL NOTES

    Information on household Internet access was provided to the OECD by National Statistical Organisations which collected the information using a variety of surveys, such as labour force, time use, household expenditure, general or specialised social surveys. Issues for international comparability include differences in the timing, scope and coverage of national surveys.

    Users should note that statistics on ICT use may differ because of structural differences in the composition of households between countries.



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