Internet
Millions of people in Germany live offline
There are several million people in Germany who do not use the Internet. photo
© Ole Spata/dpa
A good five percent of 16 to 74 year olds nationwide do not use the Internet. The average for Germany is slightly below the other EU states, as the Federal Statistical Office announced.
Whether it’s a doctor’s appointment, a train ticket or arrangements with friends – smartphones and the internet are increasingly appearing indispensable. But there are still people in Germany, who say they have never been online – among 16 to 74 year olds last year there were a good five percent, as the Federal Statistical Office announced on Tuesday. This corresponds to around 3.1 million people in Germany.
The proportion of so-called offliners increases with increasing age: last year there were a good 15 percent of those aged 65 to 74, and just under five percent of those aged 45 to 64. Of those aged 16 to 44, two percent had never surfed the Internet.
According to the information, Germany is just below the EU average of six percent offliners. In Luxembourg, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden, less than one percent of 16- to 74-year-olds said they had never used the Internet. According to the information, the highest proportions were recorded in Croatia with 14 percent, Greece with 13 percent and Portugal and Bulgaria with 12 percent each in the age group.
Around a third of the population worldwide had no access to the Internet last year, that is around 2.6 billion people, the Federal Office said, citing estimates from the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU). In Europe – including non-EU countries – and the USA, the Internet is comparatively more accessible, but there too, according to estimates, nine (Europe) or 13 percent of the population were offline last year.