Internet Adoption Rates, by Demographic, 2000-2015

June 30, 2015

This article is included in these additional categories:

African-American | Asian-American | Boomers & Older | Digital | Hispanic | Household Income | Men | Women | Youth & Gen X

Pew-Internet-Access-by-Demo-2000-2015-Jun2015The Pew Internet & American Life Project has released its latest report on internet access in the US, detailing the substantial growth in adoption across various demographic groups over the past 15 years. The overall adoption rate among US adults stands at 84% this year as it has since 2013, and is up from 52% in 2000.

The study demonstrates that – among adults – internet access is almost universal among 18-29-year-olds (96%), those with a college degree (95%), those with household income of at least $50k ($50-75k: 95%; $75k+: 97%) and English-speaking Asians (97%). As one might expect given the growth trajectory of internet access, it’s the groups at the other end of those spectra that have shown the most rapid growth in adoption:

  • Americans aged 65 and older, from 14% in 2000 to a majority 58% this year;
  • Adults with household income under $30k per year, from 34% to 74%; and
  • Adults without a high school diploma, from 19% to 66%.

Among races and ethnicities, black Americans have shown the fastest rate of growth, more than doubling from 38% adoption in 2000 to 78% this year. And while rural Americans have lagged their urban and suburban counterparts throughout the 15-year period, the gap has been closing. Indeed, almost 8 in 10 Americans living in rural areas now report access to the internet, compared with 85% of adults living in urban and suburban areas.

Chart-Library-Ad-1

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