On Monday, January 8, Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) will start an annual population survey on the use of ICT: the internet, e-commerce and e-government use, digital skills, etc. ICT-related questions.
The population survey will take place from January 8 to May 26, and it includes 8.5 thousand respondents aged 16 to 74, covering all regions of Latvia. The survey will be arranged in two parts.
In the first part – from January 8 to February 16 e-survey will be available to respondents.
Residents included in the survey sample, who will receive a letter with invitation to participate in the survey, will be able to fill out an e-survey on the website e.csp.gov.lv. In order to be authorized, internet banking, e-signature or e-identification card must be used.
Consultations on filling out the e-survey will be available from January 8 to February 16 on weekdays from 10:00 to 18:00 by a toll-free assistance number +371 80008811 or e-mail – ikt@csp.gov.lv.
In the second part – from February 19 to May 26 – interviews.
If the e-survey will not be completed by February 16, a telephone interview or face-to-face interview at the respondent's place of residence will be arranged from February 19 to May 26.
Identity of the interviewer can be verified on the CSB website or by the previously mentioned toll-free assistance number. CSB guarantees the confidentiality of the information obtained in the survey.
Survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals, co-financed by the European Union (EU), has been taking place already for the 20th year, and its results allow us to follow how use of internet has developed in Latvia and how use of internet habits of population have changed. The data obtained are used in the creation of information technology policy, for the calculation of the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), which reflects the progress achieved by the EU member states in the field of digitization, as well as for the evaluation of the goals set in the National Development Plan of Latvia.
The results of the survey 2023 show that:
- there was internet connection in 93 % of households, the highest internet accessibility in regions was in Pierīga, where internet is available to 95 % of households;
- the number of regular internet users (at least once a week) continued to grow and reached 91.4 %, which is a growth of 1.4 percentage points compared to 2022;
- the most popular purposes of using the internet were internet banking (91 %), sending/receiving e-mails (88 %) and sending messages in texting apps (86 %);
- mostly population used internet to purchase clothes, shoes or accessories (56 %), purchase electrical equipment or household appliances (24 %), deliver food from restaurants or other catering enterprises (23 %) and purchase cosmetics, beauty products (22 %).
More information on the use of information and communication technologies in households is available on the official statistics portal section ICT in households.