A summary of the results of the study �use of information technologies among households and individuals in 2007� � 51% of households had an Internet connection; � 32% of all households were using broadband Internet connection; � 58% of all surveyed residents in the first quarter of 2007 had used the Internet at least once in their lives; � The two locations where the Internet is most commonly used were at home and at work; � 15% of all residents or 25% of Internet users had bought goods or services on the Internet at least once; � 43% of all residents or 67% of computer users had attended computer training courses at least once in their lives.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET USE IN HOUSEHOLDS

Availability of computers and Internet in households

�  49% of all households have a desktop, laptop or palmtop computer;

�  51% of Latvian households have an Internet connection;

�  40% of households have Internet access via the desktop, laptop or palmtop computer.

Compared to the data of the previous years, the data of the survey of the year 2007 showed that availability of computers and internet in households has increased.

Figure 1. Availability of computers and Internet in households
(Beginning of the year, % of all households)

During last year the availability of computers in Latvian households has increased by 8 percentage points, which shows that almost every second Latvian household has a computer.  40% of households have a computer with an Internet connection.  The Internet is used not only via computers, but also via mobile telephones with internet options and other equipment.  In general, each second household has Internet connection (51%).

Devices used to access the Internet in households: Types of Internet connections

�  38% of all households use a desktop computer to access Internet (75% of households with an Internet connection);

�  30% of all households access the Internet via a mobile phone with Internet options (WAP, GPRS or UMTS) - 59% of all households having an Internet connection;

�  32% of all households have a broadband Internet connection (DSL, cable modem, UMTS, etc.) - 63% of households having an Internet connection.

Desktop computers are used most often for Internet access (38%). Compared to 2006 this indicator has increased by 10 percentage points.  30% of all households use a mobile phone to access the Internet.  Very few households use other devices for that purpose. 

Compared to 2006, in 2007 the number of households with broadband Internet access has increased by 9% and reached 32%.  Moreover, in 13% of households broadband Internet is accessed via DSL connection, while 20% of households use a different broadband connection (cable modem, UMTS, etc.).

Each year 1 or 2% of respondents in households having an Internet connection did not know what type of connection they had.

USE OF COMPUTERS AND INTERNET AMONG LATVIA RESIDENTS

Use of computers and Internet

In the first quarter of 2007 58% of the Latvia residents had used a computer at least once in their lives, and 55% had used the Internet.  As the age of the respondent increase, the use of the computer and Internet is not so often.  This relation is illustrated in the graph:

Purposes of Internet use

In 2007 nearly all Internet users (94%) used the Internet for information search and online services. 89% of respondents used the Internet for communication activities.  Every second (50%) used Internet banking, and one third (33%), in turn, for interaction with public authorities.  On third (34%) of Internet users did it for training and education purposes.

Alongside popular forms of communication such as e-mail and chatting, telephoning over the Internet has became very popular.  33% of Internet users reported having used such services.

Purposes of Internet use in 1st quarter of 2007 (%)

a) information search and online services                                  b) Communication activities

c) Internet banking, buying or selling goods and services          d) Training and education

Buying goods and services on the Internet

15% of all residents or 25% of Internet users had purchased goods or services on the Internet at least once in their lives.  E-commerce is becoming more popular.

Residents of the age groups 16 to 24 and 25 to 34 (31% and 32% of respondents who had ever bought anything on the Internet, respectively) made purchases on the Internet more often, and mainly those were residents who had attained secondary education (48%).  Employed were buying goods or services on the Internet more frequently (74%).

2.4  Attending computer training courses

�  43% of all residents or two thirds (67%) of all computer users had attended computer training courses at least once.

The survey also included questions on the skills and abilities of computer and Internet users, as well as question on the place, time and way these skills had been obtained.

 In 2007 the share of computer users which had never attended computer training courses constituted 33%, a decrease of 6% percentage points if compared to 2006. Therefore, it can be concluded that the interest and necessity to use computer among population of Latvia is increasing.  Only 4% of respondents aged 16 to 24 had never attended computer training.

Attending computer training courses  (% of computer users in the relevant group)

Source:  Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, 2007