Iceland's Online Population

Nearly three-quarters of all the adults in Iceland have Internet access, according to a survey by Gallup Iceland, which also found that 15 percent of those with Net access never use it.

Iceland has always had higher than average Internet penetration rates, but the addition of free Internet access services has driven the rate up from 49 percent in December of 1999 to 60 percent in 2000. More than 80 percent of the citizens over age 55 have Internet access, but only one-third use the Net, according to Gallup. The highest percentage of use is seen in the 16 to 24 age group, with almost 90 percent accessing the Net. Men are slightly more likely to have Internet access than women, 77 percent vs. 71 percent.

The young, well-educated, and those living near the city of Reykjavik are also more likely to be online. These groups also spend more time than average surfing the Web each week. More than 35 percent of the Internet users in Iceland have shopped online.