On Monday, January 23, Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) will start an annual population survey on Internet usage: frequency, purposes and other Internet usage related activities.
The population survey will take place from January 23 to June 8, and it includes 8.5 thousand respondents aged 16 to 74, covering all regions of Latvia. The survey will be conducted in two parts.
In the first part – from January 23 to February 28 e- questionnaire 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-questionnaire 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-questionnaire will be available from January 23 to February 28 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 March 1 to June 8 – interviews.
If the e-questionnaire will not be completed by February 28, a telephone interview or face-to-face interview at the respondent's place of residence will be conducted from March 1 to June 8.
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.
Population survey on Internet usage, co-financed by the European Union (EU), has been taking place already for the 19th year, and its results allow us to follow how Internet usage has developed in Latvia and how Internet usage 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 2022 show that:
- Internet connection was in 91 % of households, the highest Internet availability in regions was in Riga, where Internet is available in 94 % of households;
- the number of regular Internet users (at least once a week) continued to grow and reached 90 % in 2022 and has grown by 0.3 percentage points compared to 2021;
- the most popular purposes of using the Internet were Internet banking (82 %), sending/receiving e-mails (78 %) and sending messages in texting apps (78 %);
- mostly population used Internet to purchase clothes, shoes or accessories (56 %), deliver food from restaurants or other catering enterprises (25 %), purchase electrical equipment or household appliances (23 %), cosmetics, beauty products (20 %).
More information on the use of information and communication technologies in households is available on official statistics portal in section “Information Technologies”.
Media requests:
Communication Section
E-mail: media@csp.gov.lv
Phone: +371 67366621, +371 27880666