Increase in mobile internet usage due to rising usage rates among the elderly

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning announced the results of the '2015 Internet Usage Survey' together with the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA).

This year's survey results showed a clear trend of internet service usage patterns shifting from PCs to smartphones. In particular, the gap in usage rates by gender and age has narrowed, and the internet usage rate among the elderly has increased significantly, with instant messenger usage among those in their 60s rising.

According to the survey results, as of July 2015, the internet usage rate of the population aged 3 and older was 85.1%, a slight increase of 1.5%p compared to the previous year, and the number of internet users was 41,940 thousand, an increase of 822 thousand compared to the previous year.

Overall internet service usage rates increased compared to the previous year, with cloud service usage showing the largest increase (5.5%p). Furthermore, while the proportion of smartphone usage for cloud services increased significantly (20.5%p), desktop computer usage decreased (△8.2%p), indicating that the devices used are shifting from PCs to smartphones. Other usage rates included internet shopping (2.3%p), internet banking (2.7%p), social media (4.2%p), and instant messaging (1.7%p).

Internet usage rates among the elderly aged 60 and over increased significantly (9%p for those in their 60s, 3.8%p for those in their 70s and older). In particular, the increase in instant messenger usage (9.7%p, 62.6% in '14 → 72.3% in '15) and SNS usage rates (10.7%p, 17.7% in '14 → 28.4% in '15) among those in their 60s was higher than that of other age groups.


In addition, the difference in internet usage rates by gender (7.5%p in '14 → 6.5%p in '15) and by age group appears to have decreased from 49.3% in 2014 to 40.3% in 2010 when comparing those in their 20s and 60s.

Household internet access rates have reached nearly 100%, and over the past three years, household smartphone ownership rates have continuously increased (79.7% in '13 → 86.4% in '15), while PC ownership rates have continuously decreased (80.6% in '13 → 77.1% in '15).

Kang Seong-ju, Director General of Internet Convergence Policy at the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, stated, “Based on the results of this survey, we will support various policies to revitalize internet businesses, including regulatory improvements, and strive to strengthen internet connection quality and stability.”

Meanwhile, this survey was conducted on 25,000 households and household members aged 3 years or older nationwide, by visiting households in 17 cities and provinces across the country and conducting interviews from August 1 to October 15, 2015.

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