91.3% of the population that is 6 years old and older that uses the Internet accessed through a cellphone

In the quarter January-February-March of the year 2023, 91.3% of the population that is 6 years old and older that uses the Internet accessed through a cellphone (with and without data plan), higher figure in 1.6 percentage points compared with the same quarter of the year 2022 (89.7%). This was informed by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) in the technical report Statistic of Information and Communication Technologies in Households, prepared with the results of the National Household Survey (ENAHO).

By residency area, 93.4% of the Internet user population residing in the rural area accesses through mobile phone, in the case of the population residing in Lima Metropolitan area 91.4% and 90.7% of the rest of urban area. It was observed an increase in Lima Metropolitan area (2.7 percentage points) and in the rural area (2.1 percentage points) compared with the same quarter of the year 2022. Followed in lower level the rest of urban area (0.6 percentage point).

During the first quarter of the year 2023, 92.8% of the population aged 6 years old and older used the Internet to communicate, 89.3% performed entertainment activities, such as playing videogames and to get movies or music and the 78.4% accessed to get information.

During the quarter under study, 74.8% of the population aged 6 years old and older of the country accessed to the Internet, a higher figure in 2.1 percentage points compared to the registered during the first quarter of the year 2022 (72.7%).

The greater growth of the Internet user population happened in the rural area, by increasing in de la 4.2 percentage points (from 41.2% to 45.4%). Also grew in Lima Metropolitan area in 2.3 percentage points (of 85.2% to 87.5%) and in the rest of urban area in 1.0 percentage point (from 76.9% to 77.9%).

During the first quarter of this year, 76.8% of the male population aged 6 years old and older and 72.8% of the female population used the Internet, registering a difference of 4.0 percentage points in favor of men.

The highest increases in the Internet use were reported in the population aged 60 years old and older, by going from 35.4% to 43.7% (8.3 percentage points) and in population aged 41 to 59 years old by going from 68.4% to 75.2% (6.8 percentage points).

In a lower proportion, it appears the population aged 25 to 40 years old, that going from 86.1% to 88.9% (2.8 percentage points), and the population aged 19 to 24 years old, that going from 92.7% a to 93.9% (1.2 percentage points).

On the other hand, 93.9% of the young population aged 19 to 24 years old and 88.9% of the population aged 25 to 40 years old are greater users of the Internet, followed by 83.4% of the population aged 12 to 18 years old; 75.2% of the group aged 41 to 59 years old; 50.0% of the group aged 6 to 11 years old and 43.7% of the population aged 60 years old and older.

During the first quarter of this year, 95.1% of the households of the country there is at least one member with cellphone, increasing in 1.0 percentage point compared to the same quarter of the year 2022 (94.1%).

By residency area, it is observed a greater coverage in Lima Metropolitan area (98.2%), by increasing in 1.5 percentage points compared with the first quarter of the year 2022 (96.7%). In the rest of the urban area, the access of the households to the cellphone was of 96.9% and in the rural area of 86.3%, registering increase of 0.4 and 1.3 percentage points, respectively.

According to the educational level the household chief, 98.9% of those with university higher education and the 99.3% of those with non-university higher education had access to mobile phone, followed by those that have high-school education (98.4%) and elementary or lower level of education (87.4%).