Today, the Internet has become a vital tool that societies rely on for remote work, shopping, and accessing information. But the irony is that millions of Germans never use the Internet.
Germany's Federal Statistical Office estimates that the percentage of people in the country who do not use the internet last year reached 4% among those aged 16 to 74, equivalent to approximately 2.8 million people. By 2023, the percentage of people who do not use the internet in Germany will reach approximately 5% of this age group, equivalent to 3.1 million people, according to the office's data.
The office bases its data on an annual survey on the use of information and communication technologies, which is conducted uniformly across the European Union.
According to the data, 12% of those in Germany aged 65 to 74 were not connected to the internet last year, compared to 3% in the 45 to 64 age group, and 2% in the 16 to 44 age group.
According to the data, there are significant differences between EU member states: In the Netherlands and Sweden, less than 1% of people aged 16 to 74 said they had never used the internet. The highest percentage of people not connected to the internet was in Croatia (14%) and Greece (11%).
Regarding the global situation, the Federal Statistical Office cited estimates from the United Nations' International Telecommunication Union. According to the ITU data, nearly a third of the world's population (32%) was not connected to the internet last year. In Europe (including non-EU countries) and the Americas, where internet access is generally easier, approximately 9% and 13% of the populations were not using the internet last year.