More than eight in 10 people said they used the internet for shopping, banking and placing orders in 2022, figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed.
Launching its 2022 Household Digital Consumer Behavior Report this morning, the agency found that 80% of people have used online shopping, banking and booking services this year, with email remaining the most popular Internet activity, used by 93% of people.
Increasing by more than ten percentage points since 2021, internet banking was the second most popular internet activity, used by 90% of people.
Online shopping has fallen 9 percentage points since last year, falling to 71%, with clothing, shoes and accessories remaining the most popular online purchases.
80% of men said they bought goods online, up 2% since 2021, while the number of women buying online fell by one percentage point to 82% over the same period.
Internet users in Dublin were the most likely to shop online at 87%, followed by 84% of digital consumers in the South East. Those in the Midlands were the least likely to shop online, at just 70%.
Purchases of ready meals have also seen significant growth, rising from 50% to 58% in 2022.
Nearly one in seven internet users said they rented accommodation online, from apartments to vacation homes through a private individual through apps like Airbnb, a massive growth of just 4% in 2021.
Commenting on the figures, Maureen Delamere, Statistician in the Social Analysis Division, said: “There were varying levels of COVID-19 restrictions in place during the first half of 2022. The pandemic has resulted in increased use of ICT and of the Internet, and, at the same time, different models of digital consumer behavior.
“Globally, more than nine in ten (92%) people aged 16 and over have used the internet in the previous three months. Only 1% had used the internet but not recently and only 7% had never used the internet . “
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