91 % of households have access to the Internet

According to the annual survey on use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in households carried out by the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB), share of households with Internet in 2021 has reached 91.1  %¹.

As compared to 2020, in 2021 the share of households using broadband Internet connection has increased by 1.9 percentage points. If last year it comprised 87.6 % of households, this year it is 89.5 %. Mostly broadband Internet connection is used in Riga and Kurzeme region 91.7 % and 90.1 %, respectively, but the least – in Latgale (84.3 %) and, compared to 2020, it is a rise of 4 percentage points. In urban areas broadband Internet connection is available to 90.7 % of households, but in rural areas – to 87.1 % of households, and over a year its availability in rural areas has grown by 2.8 percentage points.

In 2021, as compared to 2021, the share of regular Internet users (use Internet at least once a week) increased by 2.8 percentage points and reached 89.7 %. Females use Internet on a regular basis more often than males, 90 % and 89.3 %, respectively. In turn, population with higher education use Internet on a regular basis more often (98 %) than population with secondary (86 %) or basic education (88 %).

The largest share of regular Internet users is in Riga (92.8 %), in Pierīga Internet is used on a regular basis by 89.6 % of population, but in Zemgale it is slightly smaller – 89.4 %, in Kurzeme and Vidzeme share of regular Internet users is 88.4 % and 88.3 %, respectively, but the smallest – in Latgale (84.5 %). In urban areas share of Internet users is larger than in rural areas – 91.1 % and 89.6 %, respectively.

In age group 16-24 years old 99 % of young people use Internet on a regular basis, in age group 25-54 years – 96.3 %, but in age group 55-74 years – 75.9 % of population.

The most popular device where Internet is used is smart phone or mobile telephone – in 2021, 79 % of population indicated that use this device to access the Internet, 50.2 % used portable computer or laptop, but desktop (stationary) computer is used to access the Internet by 36.3 % of population.

Population use the Internet for various activities. Most popular of them are internet banking and sending/receiving e-mails, which is used by 80.1 % and 79.2 % of population, but sending messages in texting apps is used by 74.9 % of population. Females search online for health-related topics more than males (62.8 % and 40.4 %, respectively), but males slightly more often are selling goods or services over the Internet (13.9 % and 12.9 %, respectively). Searching for health-related topics shows the largest differences between urban and rural population – it is used by 55.6 % of urban population and only 45.2 % of rural population.

Most popular activities of 16-24 years old young people, compared to 2020, have not changed. They include sending/receiving e-mails, sending messages in texting apps and participating in social networks. Most popular activities of 65-74 years old seniors include reading online news sites/newspapers/news magazines, internet banking and sending/receiving e-mails.

In 2021 contacting or interacting with public authorities over the Internet by individuals continues to increase. 64.7 % of population completed forms of public authorities online, and during a year this indicator has risen by 1.3 percentage points. Websites of public authorities are also used to acquire information on institutions (for example, contact information, working hours), as well as to download forms for printing – such activities were carried out by 67.6 % and 36.4 % of population, respectively.

Due to Covid-19 this year population is shopping over the Internet more often, as face-to-face shopping was restricted. To purchase goods and services, Internet was used by 66.9 % of population², and, compared to 2020, this indicator has risen by 4.1 percentage point.

Mostly population³ used Internet to purchase clothes, shoes or accessories (61.1 %), deliver food from restaurants or other catering enterprises (33.5 %), computers, tablet computers or mobile phones and accessories (29 %), cosmetics, beauty products (28.8 %). Compared to 2020, significant growth was observed among population purchasing clothes, shoes or accessories over the Internet (of 15.7 percentage points), as well as purchase of food and beverages – delivery of food from restaurants or other catering enterprises has increased by 15.6 percentage points, but food or drinks from online stores or packaged food vendors – by 10.6 percentage points.

Purchase of goods over the Internet in 2020 and 2021

(as per cent of population having made purchases over the Internet during the last 3 months)

See OSP data base: EKI010

Covid-19 has affected trade of tickets and purchase of accommodation services over the Internet. Purchase of tickets to sports events over the Internet has dropped from 7.4 % in 2020 to 1.3 % this year, but purchase of tickets to cultural or other events has fallen from 32 % to 2.5 %. Share of persons having rented accommodation from enterprises over the Internet has decreased from 14.7 % to 5.9 %, but rent of accommodation from private persons has dropped from 3.7 % to 1.3 %.

Significant aspect of use of nowadays Internet is protection of individual privacy. In 2021, 48.4 % of population⁴ indicated that before giving personal details over the Internet they read privacy policy, 41.2 % didn't want to provide information on their location, but 39.3 % refused from use of their personal information for advertising purposes. When participating in social networks, 37.5 % restrict access to their profile. Majority of population (64.4 %) know that cookies may be used to offer Internet users personalised advertisements and 58.1 % indicated that this fact bothers them a bit, but 26.6 % of population indicated that they have changed their Internet browser settings to restrict cookies.

In 2021 for the first time the survey included questions on fake news on the Internet. Slightly more than a half (52 %) of Internet users⁵ indicated that they have come across information or contents on websites or social networks they consider false or ambiguous. Of them 40.8 % indicated that they verified the truth of the information or contents, but majority of them did not do that (59.2 %). 88.5 % of population having verified the truth of the information or contents, mainly used other websites for that, 37.5 % indicated that to find out the truth they discussed the topic with others in real life, but 20.8 % followed Internet discussions on the information or contents found. The main reason why the truth of information or contents was not found out, was the existing knowledge that information, contents or source is not reliable (it was indicated by 76.9 % of population who did not verify the truth of the information or contents), in turn 7.0 % acknowledged that they lack skills to verify the truth of the information or contents.

Annual survey on the use of ICT in households was carried out in the first half of 2021 with co-financing of European Union. Aim of the project is to acquire qualitative and internationally comparable statistical information on the use of Internet, and it covered 5 561 individual aged 16 to 74 years.

Methodological explanations:

¹ Fixed broadband connection or mobile broadband connection is available to at least one household member.

² Of the number of population having used Internet during the last twelve months.

³ Of the number of population having ordered goods or services for personal use over the Internet during the last three months.

⁴ Of the number of population having used Internet during the last three months.

⁵ Of the number of population having used Internet during the last three months.

Media requests:
Communication Section
E-pasts: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366621, +371 27880666

More information on the data:
Pēteris Nalivaiko
Trade and Services Statistics Section
E-mail: Peteris.Nalivaiko@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366869