At the start of 2023, Ireland had the third highest internet adoption rate in the world, meaning Ireland had one of the biggest percentages of internet users. A report was published by DataReportal in October 2023 that recorded the internet usage per population of countries around the world in January 2023. It found that the United Arab Emirates took the top spot, followed by Saudi Arabia.
Interestingly, Ireland, the UAE and Saudi Arabia had an internet adoption rate of 99%. The UAE also took the top spot for the most screen time with 7 hours and 20 minutes, and Saudi Arabia comes second at 7 hours and 20 minutes. Ireland is 16th with a screen time of 5 hours and 59 minutes.
There were 4.99 million Irish internet users at the start of 2023. The main reasons for using the internet were to find information (71.8%), stay in touch with friends and family (63.9%), and research how to do things (63.2%). The most used browser was Chrome and top search engine was Google. Irish people spent their internet usage searching for ‘News’, ‘Weather’, ‘Google’ and ‘RIP’.
Irish people also spent their screen time streaming and broadcasting television (3 hours and 22 minutes) and on social media (1 hour and 56 minutes). The top social media platform in Ireland was Whastapp with 82.1% of internet users aged 16 to 64 using the platform each month. Facebook came second and Instagram came in third.
We’re waiting for the 2024 report to see how internet usage has changed since last year. It’s still clear to see that the internet is becoming more popular than ever. According to ComReg, the average monthly fixed broadband data usage for residents increased by 9.7% from the previous year and by 11.2% for businesses. So, it’s important to have reliable broadband to support your internet browsing. Check your Eircode and get connected today.
About the Author: Aoife Wright
