More than 7 in 10 US adults have used at least one of 11 shared and on-demand services, per a recent report [pdf] from the Pew Research Center. In fact, some are quite heavy users, with more than one-fifth having used at least 4 of the services and 7% having used at least 6. The study finds that exposure to the so-called “sharing economy” is higher among college graduates, those with higher incomes, and younger adults.
For example, while roughly 1 in 3 adults aged 18-44 have used at least 4 of the services identified, 56% of respondents aged 65 and older have not used any of the platforms.
According to the study, the most commonly used shared or on-demand online services are:
- Purchasing used or second-hand goods online (by 50% of adults);
- Using programs offering same-day or expedited delivery (41%);
- Purchasing tickets from online resellers (28%);
- Purchasing handmade or artisanal products online (22%); and
- Contributing to online fundraising projects (22%).
As for ride-hailing apps such as Uber? Some 15% of adults report having used one, per the report. This figure is highest among Latinos (18%), 18-29-year-olds (28%), college graduates (29%), those with household income of at least $75k (26%) and urban residents (21%).
When it comes to another much-discussed element of the “sharing economy”, home-sharing (e.g. Airbnb), the study finds 11% reporting use. Home-sharing services are of above-average popularity among women (13%), whites (13%), 30-49-year-olds (15%), college graduates (25%) and those with household income of at least $75k (24%).
The report – which contains a host more data on these services and users’ attitudes to them – can be accessed here [pdf].
About the Data: The results are based on a survey of 4,787 US adults living in households, 4,317 of whom completed the survey via the web and 470 by mail.
