Swedes are more connected than ever

The dividing line is no longer between those who use the internet and those who don't but between frequent and rare users.  

  • Almost all Swedes - 98 percent - have internet access at home, and nine out of 10 have a smartphone. At the same time, half a million Swedes do not use the internet at all and 1.5 million do not have a mobile bank ID. These are some conclusions in the report Svenskarna och Internet 2018 (Swedes and the Internet 2018), issued by the Internet Foundation on October 3.
    The report also shows activity on Facebook is increasing and one out of four infants uses the internet. Showing up for the first time are results that show a majority pays for digital music and film services.
    Using social media is a trend that continues to grow from already high levels. Compared with last year, the daily use of Facebook has increased among those over 36 but decreased in all age groups up to 35. Most people ages 16-25 and 26-35 use Facebook every day (only one in six people ages 12-15 check Facebook daily). But Facebook is still growing the most, with Snapchat and Instagram also growing among the younger crowd. The report also shows that almost 100 percent of all Swedes under 26 watch Youtube.
    +Checking Facebook every day is more common among 76-year-olds than it is for teens ages 12-15.

  • One in four babies on the internet
    For the first time, the Internet Foundation measured how children under the age of two use the internet. By asking the parents, it appears one in four infants (ages 0-12 months) uses the internet. Among the 1-year-olds, nearly two out of five are internet users. And from the age of 2, more than half the children use the internet every day. This young group is mainly watching videos and playing games on a tablet.
    Home-based internet access is rapidly increasing within the oldest target audience. Just four years ago, not even half of those 76 and older had internet access at home; now it's almost nine out of 10. But the report also points out 1.1 million Swedes use the internet very sparingly, and half a million not at all.
    In addition, 77 percent of the demographic over age 76 does not use a mobile bank ID. And with 34 percent of ages 66-75 not using the technology either, there is potential for it to become a social problem. Mobile bank ID is not only used for the payment method Swish (a Swedish mobile payment app similar to Paypal's Venmo or Square Cash) but also to login to the internet bank. Today, technology is increasingly used for government contacts such as tax returns and the Health Guidance 1177.