This is one of the main findings of the new edition of the OECD's Digital Economic Outlook.

Internet use has increased dramatically over the past decade, but it continues to vary widely across countries. In 2019, the proportion of adults accessing the internet ranged from more than 95% to less than 70% in OECD countries.

Internet use has become a daily habit for most people in the OECD area, including older people. In 2019, 58% of people aged 55-74 used the Internet frequently, compared to only 30% in 2010. However, this figure is still well below the average proportion of frequent Internet users aged 16-24, which was close to 95%.

Smartphones have become the preferred device for internet use in many countries: 75% of people in the European Union used a cell phone or smartphone to connect to the internet in 2018, up from 65% just two years earlier.

The age of first access to the internet has decreased in almost all countries in recent years. In 2018, 24% of 15-year-olds in the OECD area accessed the internet for the first time at age 6 or younger, up from just 15% in 2012.

Approximately 12% of Internet users report receiving on-the-job training from colleagues or supervisors in 2018; 9% received training related to digital tools paid for or directly provided by their employer.

In 2019, about 14% of Internet users in the OECD area took an online course. Country differences are notable, with the proportion reaching 70% in Mexico and 37% in Brazil, but less than 4% in Turkey.

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