Almost six million UK adults have never used the internet, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has announced.
Its report covers the period between January and March and found that 86% of UK adults had used the internet in that period, a rise of 1% on the previous year.I
However 11% of adults – the equivalent to 5.9 million people – have never logged on in their lives.
That percentage is down from 17.5% in the first quarter of 2011, showing that more and more people are trying out the web.
The remaining 3% said they have used the internet before, but do not use it regularly.
The ONS says the South East has the highest proportion of recent internet users at 90%.
Northern Ireland is the area with the lowest proportion at 80%.
Recent log-ons by people with disabilities is considerably lower at 68% than those without a disability at 92%.
Just 40% of people aged 75 are online and use the internet regularly.
Dan Howdle, telecoms expert at broadband comparison site Cable.co.uk, said: “Accessibility is the issue here.
“While things are improving in regard to making websites more accessible, for people who are deaf, blind or have disabilities that present physical barriers, the internet as a whole is still a very long way from where it needs to be.
“Nearly six million UK residents still remains a staggering number who have never used the internet, and although the number of over-75s who have never used it has decreased by 15% over the last four years, much of that number is made up of the mature end of the UK population.”
Via Sky News
