The internet habits of Swedes in the report Swedes and the internet 2017

The number of Swedish internet users* continues to increase, as now 94 percent use the internet, while 85 percent use it on a mobile phone. Up to retirement age, virtually all people (99 %) use the internet. Even among the elderly, use is largely increasing, and for the first time, over half (56 %) of people over the age of 76 are using the internet.

– It’s clear that we Swedes are accustomed to using the internet’s services everywhere and all of the time. Digitalization has come so far that many of the services on the internet are now regarded as infrastructure. If you don’t have Facebook, it’s hard to socialize, and without BankID, it is difficult to have contact with authorities, says Måns Jonasson, Digital Strategist at The Swedish Internet Foundation.

While use of both the internet and many of the services on the internet is approaching 100 percent, every third Swede states that they do not feel involved in today’s digital society and half a million do not use the internet at all.

– The need for digital competence is becoming more important. If you don’t know how digital services work, it is hard to be fully involved in society, says Cia Bohlin, Head of Statistics at The Swedish Internet Foundation.

Social media – more of everything

Four out of five Swedes are using social media. Facebook continues to be the most popular and is used by 74 percent of internet users. Over half (53 %) are there daily. Instagram has gained the most new users in the past year. Every other Swedish internet user now uses Instagram, an increase of 20 percent. Snapchat has also greatly increased and is used by a third of internet users, while a fourth use Twitter.

– 41 percent of us are major consumers of social media and have three or four of these popular services, Pamela Davidsson, Statistician at The Swedish Internet Foundation and project leader for the report. 

More use from this year’s report:

Digital media consumption – all young people are watching YouTube

Everyone up to age 25 are watching YouTube, and three out of four watch every day.

• Half of all Swedes pay for music (50 %), and among those up to age 25 the number is 77 percent.
• Almost half of all Swedes pay for film over the internet (46 %) and just as many pay for Netflix.
• 45 percent listen to podcasts and 60 percent listen to radio stations on the internet.
• 77 percent watch TV channel play services, an increase of 10 percent per year.

Most two-year olds use the internet

• Children’s use of the internet continues to increase. At age two, four out of five (79 %) already use the internet.
• Two out of three seven-year olds use the internet every day.
• Almost all (98 %) eleven-year olds have their own mobile phone.
• A third of 2 – 3 year olds use a tablet every day.

Source criticism online

• 44 percent believe that most of the information they access on the internet is reliable. In the age group of 12-25 years, only a third believe this.
• Over a third of Swedish internet users state that they have received training in source evaluation. Among young people, the number is over 70 percent.

Housing and successful internet dating

• Two thirds of Swedish internet users search or look for housing on the internet. 6 percent do this daily and a third do it every month.
• Eleven percent of Swedish internet users have used online dating the past year.
• 15 percent of those who use dating services or dating apps ended up cohabiting or marrying.

A majority read work email during vacation

• 64 percent use the internet to work at home.
• Half of those who work (51 %) read email on vacation.
• Eight out of ten (81 %) use the internet at work for private purposes. A third do this daily.

*With Swedish internet users, the population is from 12 years of age and up unless otherwise stated.

Read the entire report 

The entire report is available to read at www.svenskarnaochinternet.se or as an attached pdf.

Box 1: About Swedes and the internet

Swedes and the internet is Sweden’s biggest survey of the internet use of Swedes and has been implemented since 2000. In this year’s survey, 3,200 people in the ages of 12 – 102 have participated. Through the survey The Swedish Internet Foundation wants to contribute facts and insights on how the use of the internet and digital services are developing. This will ensure that the digitalization of the Swedish society and industry is on a well-informed basis.

Box 2: So many people use:

E-post	97 %
Internetbank	95 %
Youtube	86 %
Blocket	79 %
Facebook	74 %
Spotify	55 %
Instagram	53 %
Netflix	46 %
Snapchat	33 %
Whatsapp	29 %
Annonsblockerare	29 %
Twitter	25 %
Tinder	7 %

About The Swedish Internet Foundation

The Swedish Internet Foundation is an independent, business-driven and public organization. We work for an internet that contributes positively to people and society.

We are responsible for the Swedish top-level domain .se and for the operation of the top-level domain .nu. Revenues from business activities finance a number of investments in research and education. The purpose of these investments is to promote and provide knowledge of the internet, internetusage, and the societal impacts of digitalization in Sweden in order to provide internet users with the ability to further advance it. 

Examples of our investments are the start-up and coworkning space Goto 10, the annual report The Swedes and the Internet, the online resource Digitala Lektioner, the conference Internet Days and the measuring tool Bredbandskollen. Our vision is that everyone in Sweden wants, dares, and is able to use the internet.