The number of Cypriot households with internet access increased in 2012, compared to 2011, with the most popular internet activities being information retrieval, e-mailing and access to social networks.

The percentage of households with access to a computer reaches 70% in 2012 compared to 63.9% in 2011, the Statistical Service said on Wednesday in its annual survey ‘Information and Communication Technologies Usage in Households and by Individuals 2012’, conducted in the first quarter of 2012.

The main results of the survey showed that the percentage of households with access to a desktop computer decreased to 28.8% compared to 33.6% in 2011 while the percentage of households with access to a laptop computer increased to 62.4% compared to 55.5% in 2011.

A computer is found in 90.6% of households with dependent children, while in households where there are no dependent children the percentage is only 59.2%.

During 2012 internet access in households continues to increase and reaches 61.8% compared to 57.4% in 2011. At the same time, an increase was observed in the individuals that used the internet, from 56.9% in 2011 to 60.7% in 2012.

The broadband connection has become the main type of internet connection since it is used by almost all households (97.9%), according to the survey.

16.2% of the households with internet access have mobile connection to the internet (via handset/ broadband card/ USB).

Moreover the survey showed that individuals 16 – 24 years old (89.2%) and students (96.0%) are the more frequent internet users, while only 16.4% of individuals 65 – 74 years old use the internet.

Men are using the internet more frequently than women with percentage 61.1% and 54.8% respectively.

The most popular internet activities are searching information about goods or services and e-mailing (90.6% and 75.6% of Internet users respectively), whereas 61.2% of internet users participate in social networks such as Facebook, Twitter etc.

17.2% of persons made online orders for goods and services in 2011. More than half of them -52.0%- ordered travel arrangements (tickets, hotel, car hire etc).