Second BBVA Foundation study on the Internet in Spain

The percentage of Internet users has grown from 37 percent in 2005 to 44 percent today

Madrid, May 7, 2008.- The BBVA Foundation presents the results of its “Second Study on the Internet in Spain” based on a wide-ranging survey into how Internet is being used, its impact on different areas of life and what users see as its main strengths and critical areas. It also looks at barriers to access, and the possibilities of future take-up among today’s non users. The BBVA Foundation completed a first round of the study in 2005. Hence the data in this edition provide not just a "snapshot” of Internet use but also a picture of how it has developed over time.

The information in this study was obtained by surveying a representative sample of the Spanish population aged 14 and over, with a sample size of 6,013. The survey's design and analysis were the work of the Social Studies Unit of the BBVA Foundation.

GROWTH OF INTERNET USE IN SPAIN

Internet is increasingly present in Spanish households; up from 31% in 2005 to 41% in 2008. A clear majority of users have broadband access, particularly ADSL, which has grown from 61% in 2005 to 71% in 2008. Given the high penetration of this connection modality, it is no surprise that the usual payment format is a 24-hour flat rate (88%).

In the present study, the universe of Internet users is defined as those having accessed the Internet in the past three months, equating to 44% of Spaniards at the start of 2008 compared to 37% in 2005.

The sociodemographic profile of Internet users differs clearly from the population average: they are predominantly male (53%), young (59% aged under 36), more educated (75% with upper secondary or higher education studies) and of middle (47%) to upper middle (34%) socioeconomic status. Non users, in contrast, are more typically female (54%), aged 51 or over (59%), educated to lower secondary level only (78%), and of lower middle or low socioeconomic status (49%).

Among developments of note since 2005 is the growing incorporation of segments traditionally more distanced from this technology. Hence the increase found in the relative weight of the 26 to 35 and 36 to 50 age groups and that of the middle-middle socioeconomic class. Nonetheless, marked differences persist in the Internet use of population groups, and we can still observe a large digital gap determined by age and socioeconomic status.