Nearly 6 Million Access Net in Australia

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has found that 652,000 Australian adults used the Internet to order or purchase goods or services in the month of August according to latest research.

The report, titled “Use of Internet by Households”, found that books/magazines, computer software/equipment and music were the most common type of goods purchased. In addition, in the three months leading up to August this year, three percent of adults used the Internet to pay for bills.

According to the ABS, nearly 23 percent of all Australian households have home Internet access and in the 12 months to August 1999, nearly 5.6 million adults accessed the Net compared with 4.2 million in the 12 months to August 1998.

Research also showed that around 79 percent of adults who accessed the Internet at home did so at least once a week compared with 76 percent who accessed the Internet at work and only 24 percent accessing the Internet from sites other than home or work.

Australia’s 18 to 24 year-olds were found to have the highest level of Internet use at 74 percent and with more adult males accessing the Net than adult females (46 percent and 36 percent, respectively). Furthermore, more adults in capital cities accessed the Internet than in any other areas (44 percent and 35 percent respectively).