2. Internet

2.1 Internet users

2.1.1 Total number of Internet users

At the end of 1999, the total number of Internet users in the European Union was estimated at 72.2 million, representing a growth rate of 51 % on 1998.

Graph 32: Total number of Internet users in the European Union – 1998 and 1999

By focusing at the end of 1999, major markets in terms of the number of Internet users were:

• Germany (more than 16 million users) and United Kingdom (nearly 14 million users),
• then Italy (9 million users), France (8.8 million users) and Netherlands (6 million users),
• a third group of countries included Spain and Sweden (nearly 4 million each), Denmark and Finland (more than 2 million),
• a fourth group of countries with 1.4 to 1.8 million Internet users, such Belgium and Austria,
• a fifth group with countries with less than 1 million of users such as Luxembourg, Ireland, Greece and Portugal.

Graph 33: Total number of Internet users – Breakdown by country – End 1999

All countries have seen significant growth rates. Indeed, growth rates between 1998 and 1999 ranged between 24% and 87%. One can notice that United Kingdom had only a 9% growth.

Graph 34: Growth in Internet users – 1998-1999

The graph below shows the evolution of the total number of Internet users by country.

Graph 35: Total number of Internet users in the European Union 1998-1999

Total number of Internet users – Breakdown by countries – 1998 - 1999

2.1.2 Number of Internet users per 100 inhabitants

The Internet penetration rate is estimated by the number of Internet users per 100 inhabitants.

At the end of 1999, the average number of Internet users per 100 inhabitants was 19 in the European Union, compared with 13 in 1998, representing a growth of 51% since 1998.

One can distinguish several groups of countries :

• Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Sweden, where the number of Internet Users was the most important, ranging between 39 and 44 per 100 inhabitants,
• an intermediary group including Germany, Austria, United Kingdom and Luxembourg with a number of Internet users ranged between 20 and 24 per 100 inhabitants,
• a third group that is experiencing a catch up effect, including Belgium, Ireland, France and Italy with a number of Internet users ranged between 14 and 16 per 100 inhabitants,
• a fourth group including countries where Internet is in its starting phase : Greece, Portugal and Spain with penetration rates ranged between 7 and 10 Internet users per 100 inhabitants.

Graph 36: Total number of Internet users per 100 inh. – Breakdown by country – End 1999

The graph below compares the Internet penetration level and the Internet penetration growth rate. One can notice that nearly all countries show high growth rates, even countries where penetration rates are already the highest : Denmark and Netherlands saw growth rates of 87% and 76%. Most of the countries had growth rates from 50% to 85%.

Graph 37: Comparison between Internet penetration level and growth rate – End 1999

2.1.3 Internet penetration within companies

The Internet penetration within companies is measured as the ratio of the number of companies having Internet access to the overall population of companies.

The average EU Internet penetration within companies was equal to 63% at the end of 1999, compared with 50% at the end of 1998.

If we focus on 1999, we can distinguish three groups of countries :

• Unsurprisingly, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Luxembourg have the highest penetration rates, ranging from 73% to 95 %,
• the second group includes most of the other countries : Ireland, Austria, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, with penetration rates ranging from 55 to 69%,
• the third group includes Greece, Spain, Portugal and Belgium, with penetration rates ranging from 32% to 49%.

Graph 38: Penetration rate of Internet in companies – Breakdown by country – End 1999

The graph below presents the evolution of Internet penetration within companies in 1998 and 1999.

Graph 39: Evolution of Internet penetration within companies between 1998 and 1999

 

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All data have been collected from readily available public sources of information (annual reports and publications by regulatory bodies, professional associations, operators, etc.). This is not a scientific document, but rather seeks to identify the key trends. To this end, where necessary, estimations have been made.

Additional data and information sources are available in the country reports that can be found on the ESIS Knowledge Base (http://www.ispo.cec.be/esis).

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