Students and shoppers leading UK web use

Just over 60 per cent of Britons are now making use of the internet, according to new EC research that looked into which citizens in the EU 25 went online during 2004.

While the UK beat the European average for internet usage, which stands at 47 per cent, it is far behind the Nordic digital leaders – both Iceland and Sweden boast an 82 per cent average. Romania had the lowest rate of internet usage at just 12 per cent of its population.

UK citizens are in love with ecommerce and are among the most common web shoppers. Twenty-eight per cent of the UK now spends its cash online.

While the digital divide between countries continues to shrink, there is only minimal difference between the sexes' appetite for using the internet, the EC discovered.

However, age does remain a major factor – only 24 per cent of retired people use the net regularly in the UK, compared to an average of 63 per cent.

Students were the most likely group to be internet-savvy, according to the study, which found 94 per cent are surfing the web.