Near-universal internet use: calls and messaging dominate
Internet calling, messaging and social-media use dominated online activity in early 2025, according to new data from the statistical service that shows near-universal weekly internet use and broad reliance on digital platforms for communication, information and entertainment.
More than nine in ten people used the internet at least once a week in the first quarter of 2025 (93.6%), the survey found, though usage declines with age: from 98.5% among 16- to 24-year-olds to 81.5% among those aged 55–74.
Education also plays a role, as 98.9% of people with a high level of education went online regularly, compared with 75.9% of those with a low level of education.
The most common online activities were making internet calls (96.4%); exchanging messages via Messenger, WhatsApp and Viber (96.2%); using social networks such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) (92.3%); reading online news (91.1%); and searching for information about products or services (88.2%).
Use of digital tools for learning was more limited. Among internet users, 20.5% accessed online educational material, while 17.8% took an online course and the same share communicated with teachers or students via audio or video tools.
Over the 12-month period from April 2024 to March 2025, 62.7% of people aged 16–74 obtained information from government services electronically. Just over half (52.0%) accessed information stored for them by public authorities, and nearly a third (31.9%) viewed data from public databases or registers.
Online shopping eased slightly: 62.0% of people made purchases online in the first quarter of 2025, down from 63.6% a year earlier.
Streaming services were the most popular subscription purchases, led by movies, series or sports (43.5%), followed by music (18.3%), games (9.5%) and health or fitness apps (7.5%).
Among those aged 16–74 who bought products or services online, event tickets topped the list (58.6%), followed by accommodation services (53.2%) and transportation services (50.3%).