USAGE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES (ICT) IN HOUSEHOLDS AND BY INDIVIDUALS, 2023

Tendencies

• The number of households equipped with a personal computer and internet access is on the rise.
• Computer and internet usage is at the last year’s level in all age groups.
• The number of online buyers increased by 6%; 50% of internet users bought goods and services online.

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The survey results showed that the share of households equipped with ICT in the Republic of Croatia increased compared to the previous year. The number of households equipped with a computer increased by 3%, while the number of households with internet access has increased by 4%.

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The distribution of computer users among age groups did not change significantly compared to the previous year. The youngest population still maintained the lead in computer usage and the number of users was decreasing proportionally with age. A similar trend was noticed in the employment status structure, where pupils and students, as the youngest group, were the most frequent computer users.

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An increase was noticed in almost all age groups of internet users compared to the previous year. The highest increase was recorded in the 65 – 74 age group, i.e. 4% compared to the previous year. As expected, the youngest population still maintained the lead in internet usage and the number of users was decreasing proportionally with age. A similar trend was noticed in the employment status structure, where pupils and students, as the youngest group, were the most frequent internet users.

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The comparison of the results with data from the previous year showed that habits had not changed much. Individuals mostly used the internet for sending messages (93%), obtaining information on goods and services (91%), reading daily news and magazines (90%), using e-mail (80%), telephone and video calls (76%) and participating in social networks (75%).

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The survey results showed that commerce via the internet had increased. There were 50% of internet users who purchased goods and services via the internet, which is an increase of 6% compared to the previous year. Buyers' habits show that the most often bought items were clothes and shoes, tickets for events, films and music, telecommunication services, cosmetics, and sports goods.

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We asked online buyers if they encountered any problems when shopping online. Almost half of the buyers stated that they were delivered a product they did not order or that they were delivered a damaged product. In total, 20% of buyers encountered the problem that the seller does not deliver the goods to Croatia, while 15% of customers complained that the delivery of the purchased goods was delayed.

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

The purpose of the statistical survey

Data shown in this First Release are estimates obtained through the IKT-DOM Survey. This is an annual survey on the usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) in households and by individuals. It provides information on computer and information literacy of the Croatian population. This survey measures the usage of computers and other information and communication technologies as well as the number of persons in the Republic of Croatia who use the internet and for what purposes. The data are an important source for conducting policies in the field of information society in the Republic of Croatia and in the EU.

Legal framework

The IKT-DOM Survey was conducted in 2023 according to Eurostat guidelines and on the basis of the Official Statistics Act (NN, No. 25/20). The same surveys were conducted in all EU Member States and, therefore, data are internationally comparable. The international data are available at the following website address: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Digital_economy_and_society.

Concepts and definitions used in the Survey are in line with the EU Methodology for Statistics on the Information Society, 2023, and in particular with the basic Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning Community social statistics.

Observation units

The observation units are persons aged 16 to 74 and their households. Selected persons answer the questionnaire. In case of their absence, another household member can answer instead, but on behalf of the selected person.

Reference period

All questions in the survey refer to the period of three months prior to the beginning of the survey.

Sampling frame and size

The basis for the sampling frame is the 2021 Census of Population, Households and Dwellings of the Republic of Croatia and directories of telephone companies. The sample size was 5 497 persons aged 16 to 74 at the time of data collection.

Data collection method

The data were collected by computer-assisted telephone interviewing (CATI) and via the internet by using the online questionnaire (CAWI).

Response rate

Out of the total sample size (5 497 units), 5 457 units were eligible and 3 228 persons took part in the survey. It means that the response rate was 59% and the eligibility rate was 99%. The non-response rate was 41%.

Weighting

Weighting calculates an unbiased estimate and achieves representativeness of the sample for the whole population. The survey data refer to persons and households and therefore two weights were calculated:

– the weight for individuals and
– the household weight.

The RIM weighting procedure (iterative proportional fitting – IPF) was used for the grossing-up of individuals. Variables used for the grossing-up were the following: county, settlement size, sex, age and educational attainment level.

The RIM weighting procedure was used for the grossing-up of households as well. The extrapolation weight was calculated for each household that participated in the survey and the calculation method included the county, settlement size and the level of urbanisation.

The calculated weight for individuals was extended to the whole population of persons aged 16 to 74. On 31 December 2021, there were 2 903 187 people aged 16 to 74 in the Republic of Croatia.

The calculated household weight is extended to the whole population of households, that is, to households with at least one person aged 16 to 74. On 31 December 2021, there were 1 244 352 households with at least one person aged 16 to 74.

Definitions and explanations

Broadband are technologies or connections that enable rapid transmission of data, especially films, games, videoconferences over an internet network (e.g. ADSL, cable connection, UMTS, optical connection, VDSL, leased lines).

E-commerce means buying or ordering goods and services over the internet. Typed e-mails are not considered e-commerce.

ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) are software and hardware used for data communication (e.g. computer, fax, the internet, fixed mobile phone).

Internet is a worldwide network of computers, communicating on the basis of standard internet protocols that enable users to exchange textual and audio-visual information.

UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) is also known as 3G technology, which was designed as a successor to GSM. It enables users to transmit images, videos, high volume of data through a wireless connection and access the internet.

Education is divided as follows:

• basic education; includes persons without schooling or with incomplete primary education and persons who have finished primary school
• secondary education; includes persons with upper secondary general or vocational education
• tertiary education; includes persons with higher non-academic education, persons with professionally oriented higher education, faculty education, persons with post-graduate education, and master’s and doctoral studies.

Abbreviations
ADSL	Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line
EC	European Community
EU	European Union
Eurostat	Statistical Office of the European Union
NN	Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia
GSM	Global System for Mobile Communications
USB	Universal Serial Bus
VDSL	Very-High-Bit-Rate Digital Subscriber Line

The survey whose data is published in this release has been conducted with the financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of this document are the sole responsibility of the Croatian Bureau of Statistics and can under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

 

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Dubravka Rogić-Hadžalić, Director of Business Statistics Directorate
Lidija Brković, Director General

Prepared by:
Hrvoje Markuš

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