Turkey: 8 out of 10 households have Internet access

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Eight out of 10 households in Turkey have Internet access at home, the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) announced Friday.

According to the results of a survey made in April, 80.7 percent of households have access to Internet, a press release said. This rate was 76.3 percent for the same period in 2016.

The survey revealed that 78.3 percent of households have broadband Internet connection, while 40 percent use fixed broadband connection such as ADSL, cable and optic fiber. Meanwhile, 72.4 percent use mobile broadband connection.

Previous year's figure of broadband Internet connection of households was 73.1 percent.

TUIK also said that computer and Internet usage of individuals aged between 16 and 74 were 56.6 and 66.8 percent, respectively in 2017.

The rates were 54.9 and 61.2 percent last year.

The survey also showed that one out of four people shopped online last year as 24.9 percent of Internet users aged between 16 and 74 have bought goods or services on the web between April 2016 and March 2017.

Clothes and sporting goods topped the shopping list with 62.3 percent, while 25.3 percent of online shoppers bought household goods such as furniture, toys, white goods etc. excluding consumer electronics.

Next most purchased items online were travel arrangements such as tickets, rental cars etc. with 24.1 percent followed by food or groceries at 21.9 percent. Nineteen percent of online shoppers purchased electronic equipment such as mobile phones, cameras, radios, TVs, DVD players etc. during the same period.