GfK: Nearly half of Romanians use the internet

Newsroom 25/01/2013 | 12:21

Romanians above 15 years old who use the internet make 48.7 percent of the population, according to a survey carried out by GfK to monitor internet usage in Romania over the past 2 years. From 2010 to 2012, internet use grew by more than 8 percent.

Last year, about 50 percent of men and about 47 percent of women used the internet.

“The proliferation of gadgets, the expansion of internet suppliers, openness from consumers who used to be cautious about this way of communication are just a few of the features that have supported the accelerated growth in the use of internet. Internet surfers are no longer a niche target. Many companies re-think their business, build strategies to approach the digital consumer,” says Traian Nastase, online project manager GfK Romania.

In the rural environment, 11 percent more people than in 2010 used the internet last year, representing 33 percent of the rural population.

In the urban areas, 61 percent of the people were using the internet, up by 6.7 percent compared to 2010.

Bucharest had the highest internet penetration, with 68 percent of inhabitants over the age of 15 using the internet.

Young people are the age group who is most enthusiastic about this, as 83 percent of young people aged between 15 and 24 use the internet, as do 71 percent of those between 25 and 34 and 62 percent of those aged between 35 and 44.

However, internet usage has increased mostly across the age group 35-44, which saw a 15 percent rise in 2012 compared to 2010. Significant growth in internet usage can also be found in the age group 45-54, whose number has increased by 8 percent.

The survey shows that 89 percent of the people with higher education and 52 percent of the people with average education are internet users.