The steady rise in Internet use in Israel continues. There are currently 2.7 million Internet users aged 13 or over, compared with 2.5 million in November 2003. 82% of users surf the Internet daily, compared with 74% in November 2003. 41% surf for more than ten hours a week, compared with 36% who reported they did so in November 2003. Among the Jewish population, 950 thousand households have Internet connections, with 86% of them (more than 800 thousand) having a high-speed Internet (broadband) connection.
The current survey finds a clear rise in the use of news and newspaper sites and of e-mail. 82% of Internet users use e-mail, compared with 78% in November 2003, while 73% read newspapers online, compared with 67% in November.
40% of Internet users in the current survey report that they regularly shop, or order products or services of some kind via the Internet. The figure is similar to the percentage in the November 2003 survey.
56% of Israel's Internet surfers are male; 61% are below 40 years of age (compared with 46% in the adult population at large); 58% have higher education (compared with 47% in the general population); and 38% earn more than the average salary (compared with 31% in the general population.)
The periodic survey was carried out among an updated, nationwide, representative sample of 844 private Internet users aged 13 and over in Jewish areas of Israel. It was done through telephone interviews from the TNS/Teleseker interview center in the Dan region.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on June 24, 2004