Russian internet use still rising steadily – researchers
(Interfax – October 20, 2013) The proportion of Russia’s adult population that accesses the internet on a daily basis is continuing to grow steadily, with almost half now going online at least once a day, according to research from one of the country’s leading polling organizations.
In remarks reported by the privately-owned Interfax agency on 17 October, the head of internet research at the Public Opinion Foundation, Svetlana Borisova, said that 45 per cent of Russians aged 18 and over, or 52.2 million people, were using the internet at least once a day. Borisova, who was speaking at the Russian Internet Week conference in Moscow, also said that 57 per cent of Russian adults, or 66.1 million Russians, were going online at least once a month. She added that her figures were based on research carried out in the autumn of 2013.
Comparisons with similar research carried out by FOM in previous years and published on its website show that, at present, there is no sign of the rate of growth slowing, either for daily or monthly use (1).
Using the internet at least once a day
(period – millions of Russians aged 18 and over who use the internet at least once a day – percentage of Russians aged 18 and over who use the internet at least once a day)
Autumn 2004 – 5.5 – 5
Autumn 2005 – 6.8 – 6
Autumn 2006 – 9.5 – 8
Autumn 2007 – 11.9 – 10
Autumn 2008 – 17.7 – 16
Autumn 2009 – 23.9 – 21
Autumn 2010 – 31.9 – 27
Autumn 2011 – 40.7 – 35
Autumn 2012 – 46.8 – 40Autumn 2013 – 52.2 – 45
Using the internet at least once a month
(period – millions of Russians aged 18 and over who use the internet at least once a month – percentage of Russians aged 18 and over who use the internet at least once a month)
Autumn 2004 – 13.7 – 12
Autumn 2005 – 17.5 – 16
Autumn 2006 – 21.0 – 19
Autumn 2007 – 26.1 – 23
Autumn 2008 – 31.7 – 28
Autumn 2009 – 39.2 – 34
Autumn 2010 – 46.5 – 40
Autumn 2011 – 54.5 – 47
Autumn 2012 – 61.1 – 52
Autumn 2013 – 66.1 – 57
Borisova said that, according to FOM’s research, the main driver of continued growth is the spread of the internet beyond the confines of Russia’s largest cities.
“Towns and cities with a population of below one million people account for the majority of the monthly audience,” she said. “At the moment, it is these places that are contributing to the basic growth in the internet audience.”
FOM’s research shows that internet penetration is running at around 45 per cent in Russia’s villages, 58 per cent in towns with a population of below 100,000 and 65 per cent in towns and cities with a population of between 100,000 and one million. FOM predicts that, if the Ministry of Telecommunications and Mass Communications meets its targets of rolling broadband out across Russia’s regions and limiting the amount consumers pay to go online, by 2018 those figures will stand at 68.9 per cent, 79.9 per cent and 82.9 per cent.