Norwegians on top in Europe in digital competence

Norwegians are more advanced users of the Internet than most other Europeans. Even though digital divisions still exist in Norway, according to new EU statistics the generation gap is smaller in Norway than in the European Union.

Statistics from Eurostat compare the use of Internet in 29 European countries. The survey shows that the elderly in Norway – especially women – are on top in Europe in using the Internet. 54 per cent of Norwegian women above the age of 55 are using Internet every week, as compared to 19 per cent in the EU countries. Internet users among Norwegian men in the same age group amount to 61 per cent, while tey add up to 31 per cent in the EU. Young people are still the most frequent Internet users. 95 per cent in the age group from 16 to 24 use the Internet every week, while 79 per cent of young citizens in the EU are doing likewise.

- The statistics show that we in Norway have accomplished quite a lot in our efforts to include everyone in the information society. Even though this is pleasing, there is still a considerable amount of work to be done. This will be a high priority for the present government also in the coming years, Minister of government administration and reform, Ms Heidi Grande Røys says.
 
Advanced users
The survey also shows that Norwegians make more use of advanced services than any other nationality in Europe. Fifty per cent of Norwegians download and install software from the Internet, and two out of three keep their computer free from virus and spy ware. In this regard, Norway is the leading nation in Europe. More than 20 per cent of Norwegians have made an Internet page themselves. This is twice as many as the EU average.

- According to the statistics, Norway has a good and broad digital competence compared to other European countries. This is an inspiration for the ongoing efforts to secure that every citizen has digital competence, Ms Grande Røys says.
 
The Eurostat survey shows that in 2007, 78 per cent of Norwegian households had an Internet connection. This is a nine per cent increase from 2006. The EU average last year was 54 per cent.

The survey was conducted in the second quarter of 2007 and covers households and individuals from 16 to 74 years of age in 29 European countries.

• Eurostat: Internet usage in 2007 Households and individuals (PDF)