Huge rise in number of older people surfing net

THE older generation are increasingly becoming silver surfers, the latest figures on internet use show.

Among those aged 65 to 74, 83 per cent regularly go online – up from 53 per cent in 2011 and the largest increase in recent internet use of any age group.

And for those aged 75 and over using the internet has also drastically increased, rising from 20 per cent in 2011 to almost 47 per cent now.

A report from the Office for National Statistics yesterday showed that almost everybody in the country under pension age is now a regular internet user.

It said that more than 99 per cent of those under 45 are routinely online, with internet use rates now higher here than in Germany, France, the Netherlands or Sweden.

The report said: ‘In 2019, within the UK, 91 per cent of all adults had recently used the internet, with almost all adults aged 16 to 44 – 99 per cent – being recent internet users.’ It added that the share of those over 65 who have never used the internet has fallen since 2011 to below a third.

Among those aged 45 to 54, over 97 per cent are regular internet users, and over 93 per cent of those between 55 and 65 are regularly online.

Among working age people, men and women were equally familiar with using the internet. Nearly four out of five disabled people, the report said, are regular internet users.

Only Denmark and Luxembourg in the EU have higher rates of use than Britain.