Internet penetration is on in Russia; more Russians say they are not able to live without the Internet.
MOSCOW, May 6, 2019. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents the findings of a study describing the specifics of the Internet use in Russia.
Today the share of Russians using the Internet is rather high (84%). Among them 68% surf the global network on a daily basis; 13% go online several times a week or a month and 2% do it rarely. The most active users are respondents aged 18-24 (99% of daily users), persons who have higher education diploma (78%), who have high income (73%), residents of Moscow and St Petersburg and million cities (78%, each). Sixteen percent of respondents do not use any online resources.
Half of users will not be panicked is the Internet hypothetically disappears: 24% say that nothing in their life will change; 27% say that the impact will be small. However, it would be a very hard challenge for 48% of respondents (this share has dramatically increased since 2017 (32%)). Thirty-seven percent of respondents admit that their life will considerably change but they will be able to cope with that; 11% say that they cannot imagine their daily activities without the Internet (40% and 26% among the 18-24-year-olds, respectively; 43% and 26% among Muscovites and Petersburgians, respectively).
VCIOM-Sputnik survey was conducted on April 18, 2019. The survey involved 1,600 Russians aged 18 and over. The survey was telephone-based and was carried out using stratified dual-frame random sample based on a complete list of landline and mobile phone numbers operating in Russia. The data were weighted according to selection probability and social and demographic characteristics. The margin of error at a 95% confidence level does not exceed 2.5%. In addition to sampling error, minor changes in question wording and different circumstances arising during the fieldwork can introduce bias into the survey.
Do you use the Internet; if yes, how often? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of total respondents) | ||||||||||
| Total respondents | Aged 18-24 | Aged 25-34 | Aged 35-44 | Aged 45-59 | Aged 60 and more | Incomplete secondary education | Secondary education | Specialized secondary education | Incomplete higher education |
More than 4 hours daily | 27 | 74 | 40 | 34 | 18 | 7 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 33 |
Daily; less than 4 hours | 42 | 25 | 50 | 49 | 50 | 31 | 26 | 34 | 46 | 45 |
Several times a week | 9 | 1 | 5 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 8 |
Several times a month | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
From time to time but at least once every six months | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Never | 16 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 15 | 40 | 40 | 29 | 16 | 10 |
If the Internet disappears tomorrow, how much will it affect you ordinary life? (closed-ended question, one answer, % of those who use the Internet) | |||
| 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
It will completely change my life; I do not know if I will be able to do my daily activities without the Internet | 5 | 8 | 11 |
It will considerably change my life but I will be able to adapt to it | 27 | 39 | 37 |
It will not change much in my life | 31 | 30 | 27 |
It will not change anything in my life | 36 | 22 | 24 |
Don’t know | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or wciom.com, as well as distributed by VCIOM, the reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!