6. Online shopping by age

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Young adults are more likely to shop online than older or younger Irish consumers, according to new Eurostat figures. 43% of those between the ages of 25 and 34 said that they had bought something online in the previous three months, nearly double the proportion in the same age bracket back in 2005. The second-highest group are the 35 to 44-year-olds, at 35%, followed by 16 to 24-year-olds (29%).

This longitudinal study of online shopping trends also reveals that Ireland is bang on the European average for online shopping, with 37% of the population buying online. The survey found that UK shoppers are more frequent shoppers, with a comparative figure of 66%, the second highest to Norway (70%) in the EU-27.

Source: Eurostat Internet usage in 2009 – Households and Individuals, published December 2009

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