The most popular purchases over the internet – clothes, shoes and accessories

According to the annual survey on use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in households carried out by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) show that in 2024, 58.0 % of the population aged 16– 74 years having made purchases over the internet during the last 3 months indicated that purchased clothes, shoes or accessories (12.6 percentage points more than in 2020).

Delivery of food from restaurants is becoming increasingly popular and in 2024 food was ordered by 25.8 % of population having made purchases over the internet during the last 3 months (7.9 percentage points more than in 2020). The next most popular product category is cosmetics and beauty products, which were acquired by 24.2 % of purchasers. In turn, share of consumer electronics or household appliances has slightly reduced reaching 21.5 % in 2024 (27.8 % in 2020).

Females and males have different purchasing purposes

Females make purchases online more often than males (53.1 % and 43.9 %, respectively). The most popular product categories also differ: females buy clothes and cosmetics over the internet more often than males (clothes were bought by 70.5 % of females and 41.2 % of males; cosmetics, beauty or wellness products by 36.3 % of females and only 8.1 % of males). Purchase of medicines, supplements or vitamins over the internet is especially popular among females (27.4 % of purchases were made by females and 12.9 % by males).

Compared to the time before the pandemic, significant increase in purchases made over the internet among females was observed in purchase of clothes (16.5 % more than in 2020) and of medicines, supplements or vitamins (10.9 % more).

Males overtake females in purchase frequency of electrical equipment, as well as bicycles, mopeds, cars, or other vehicles or their spare parts (by 15.4 percentage points and 15.3 percentage points, respectively). Every third (30.3 %) purchase made over the internet by males was from electrical equipment category, while among females there were half as many such purchases made (14.9 %). In 2024, 16.7 % of purchases made over the internet by males and only 1.4 % by females purchased some transport vehicle over the internet.

Delivery of food is more popular among young people, medicines – at pre-retirement age

Population in all age groups buy clothes most often over the internet. Younger people mention delivery from restaurants as second the most popular choice (33.7 % of young people aged 16–24 years and 35.1 % aged 25–34 years), which is followed by beauty products (21.4 % and 26.5 %, respectively). Among population of pre-retirement and retirement age purchase of clothes over the internet is followed by medicines (22.5 % of population aged 55–64 years and 22.4 % aged 65–74 years), furniture and home accessories (20.6 % and 20.7 %, respectively).

Over the last 10 years, the habit of making purchases over the internet has doubled

The share of population having made at least one purchase over the internet during the 12-month period has increased from 33.5 % in 2014 to 65.0 % in 2024, while the share of population having never made purchases over the internet has decreased by 12.9 percentage points to 23.2 % in 2024. The most significant changes occurred during the pandemic, when population had to make purchases over the internet even if they had never made them before.

In 2023 an average of 69.9 % of the European Union (EU) population had made purchases over the internet during the last 12 months, which is a higher indicator than in Latvia (62.0 % in 2023). The highest indicator was in Netherlands – 92.4 %.

92.2 % of population use internet on a regular basis or once a week and over the last 10 years this indicator has risen by 20.4 percentage points. Also, the trend in regular use of internet has changed: in 2024, 91.4 % of males and 93.0 % of females used internet at least once a week, but 10 years ago males used internet slightly more often.

In 2014 the share of regular internet users in Latvia was below the average EU indicator – 72.5 % of the EU and 71.8 % of Latvian population used internet at least once a week. However, since 2019 this indicator in Latvia has increased slightly above the EU average (90.3 % – in the EU, 91.5 % – in Latvia in 2023).

More information on the use of ICT in households can be found on the official statistics portal in section ICT in households and informative leaflet Information and communication technology (ICT) usage patterns of the population in 2024, in latvian.

Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 27880666

More information on the data:
Kristīne Knipele
Social Statistics Data Compilation and Analysis Section
Senior expert
E-mail: kristine.knipele@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366648