Over 40 per cent of Russians access Internet every day – study

(Interfax – Moscow, March 16, 2013) The share of Russians who access the Internet at least once a day is currently 43 per cent or 50.1m people, a study by the Public Opinion Fund (FOM), which was posted on the FOM website on the measurements for winter 2012-2013, has shown. This indicator constituted 40 per cent or 46.8m people last year.

At the same time, according to FOM, the activity of Russian Internet users, that is, those who access the Internet at least once a day had been significantly less five years ago – 12 per cent or 13.1m people in winter 2007-2008.

The experts have calculated that the annual growth of Russian users who access the Internet at least once a month constitutes 11 per cent. At the same time, this indicator is 13 per cent for daily users.

The Northwestern District is the most advanced federal district in terms of Internet penetration with 62 per cent of Internet users. The Uralskiy and Central federal districts are also in the top three (59 and 62 per cent respectively).

According to the FOM study, over half of all Internet users are in Moscow (71 per cent) and St Petersburg (70 per cent). Correspondingly, the figures increased only by one per cent in each of the above cities. At the same time, the growth rate in small towns and villages constituted six points (from 35 to 41 per cent and from 48 to 54 per cent) and in cities with at least a million people, five points (57 to 62 per cent).

In turn, Levada-Centre sociologists found out with what aims Russians use the Internet for the most part.

A total of 46 per cent respondents use the Internet to search for necessary information, another third (34 per cent) use the Internet to observe latest news and every fifth (19 per cent) attempt to find out what is going on in the country and abroad, sociologists told Interfax, based on the result of a poll that was carried out among a representative sample of 1,600 people, aged 18 and older, from the urban and rural population in 130 settlements and 45 regions of the country.

Moreover, many Russians access the Internet for socialization (41 per cent), simply for entertainment (33 per cent), to search for and watch certain films (28 per cent), to listen to music (26 per cent), read certain books (17 per cent) or order/buy certain goods or services (19 per cent).

The sum of responses exceeds 100 per cent since respondents could chose multiple answers.

At the same time, 33 per cent respondents admitted that they do not use the Internet at all. However, the number of such citizens has decreased significantly in the past two years (62 per cent in March 2011), the Levada-Centre said.