One in 10 adults miss out on using the internet

One in 10 adults in Sunderland did not use the internet in the months leading up to the coronavirus pandemic, new figures reveal.

While family Zoom calls, home working and online shopping became a larger part of the country’s day-to-day lives, 9.7% of over16s surveyed by the Office for National Statistics between January and March last year had not been online in the previous three months.

That was higher than the national average – where around 7.8% of adults did not regularly use the internet – and meant an estimated 23,000 people in Sunderland were not regular internet users.

Nationally, around 3.4 million people said last year that they had never used the web – more than 60% of them aged 75 and over.

Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the two million over-75s still offline are at risk of being excluded from an "increasingly digital world".

She said: "All older people should have the support and encouragement to get online if they want to but it’s essential that those who are offline, for whatever reason, should still be able to access services and support.

“Our research suggests a lack of digital skills and confidence is a barrier that prevents many over-75s getting online."

At 90.3%, internet usage in Sunderland has shot up from 71.1% since 2011, the earliest year for which figures are available.

Different ONS data shows 89% of adults used the internet daily or nearly every day in 2020 – up from 35% in 2006.

Internet banking, emails and finding information are the most common reasons for internet use.