There are three key things to note about the sample structure of our core study:
We represent internet users aged 16+
We don’t interview people aged 15 or under as parental consent would be needed. Children also approach surveys differently to adults and wouldn’t be able to answer questions on many of the topics covered. That's why we run a separate study, GWI Kids, which looks specifically at internet users aged 8-15.
From 2009 to Q1 2024, our core study represented internet users aged 16-64 across all markets. Starting in Q1 2024, we began including respondents aged 65+ in select markets. We don’t interview 65+ everywhere because lower internet penetration rates among this group make it challenging to find enough respondents, especially in emerging markets. As internet use among 65+ increases, we plan to expand this to more markets. For more details on this approach and what it means for our data, check this article.
We represent online populations
We only interview people who use the internet. It's important to keep this in mind when using our data as the percentage of people with internet access varies globally, from highs of 90%+ in parts of Europe and North America to lows of around 40% in parts of Africa and Asia. This means the demographic composition of the online population can be very different from one market to the next.
Where a market has a high internet penetration rate, its online population will be relatively similar to its total population. Where a market has a medium to low internet penetration, its online population will be noticeably different to its total population. Generally, the lower the country’s internet penetration rate, the more affluent, educated, urban and young its internet users will be compared to the rest of the population.
Defining Internet Usage
We define internet users as anyone who uses the internet via any device and from any location.
The specific definition of this term varies by market depending on the sources that are available to us. For example, in some countries, internet users are simply defined as individuals who "use the internet", while in others, they’re defined as those that have “used the internet in the last 12 months”.
For us, these definitions are largely interchangeable, as there would be very few people who have used the internet at some point in the past without using it in the last 12 months.
Here's how the 'internet user' is currently defined per market, based on the sources available to us:
Country | Internet user definition |
Argentina | Used the internet in the last 3 months |
Australia | Used a device to access the internet in the past 6 months for personal use |
Austria | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Belgium | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Brazil | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Bulgaria | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Canada | Used the internet in the last 3 months |
Chile | Internet users |
China | Used the internet in the last 6 months |
Colombia | Used the internet |
Croatia | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Czechia | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Denmark | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Egypt | Use the internet |
France | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Germany | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Ghana | Used the internet in the last 3 months |
Greece | Use the internet |
Hong Kong | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Hungary | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
India | Use the internet or own a smartphone |
Indonesia | Use the internet |
Ireland | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Israel | Used the internet in the last 3 months |
Italy | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Japan | Use the internet |
Kenya | Use the internet or own a smartphone |
Malaysia | Use the internet |
Mexico | Use the internet |
Morocco | Use the internet |
Netherlands | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
New Zealand | Used the Internet in the past 12 months |
Nigeria | Use the internet or use a smartphone |
Norway | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Philippines | Use the internet |
Poland | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Portugal | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Romania | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Russia | Use the internet |
Saudi Arabia | Use the internet |
Serbia | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Singapore | Used the internet in the last 3 months |
South Africa | Use the internet or own a smartphone |
South Korea | Used in the past 12 months |
Spain | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Sweden | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Switzerland | Used the internet in the last 12 months |
Taiwan | Used the internet in the last 3 months |
Thailand | Used the internet in the last 3 months |
Turkey | Used the internet |
UAE | Use the internet |
UK | Internet Users |
USA | Use internet |
Vietnam | Use the internet |