Time spent online per week per person in the United Kingdom (UK) 2005-2020

From 2005 to 2020, the number of hours adults spent using the internet in a typical week has been steadily increasing in the United Kingdom (UK). As of 2020, the average time spent using the internet was 24.9 hours per week, an increase of 15 hours compared to 2005.

Internet usage in the UK

Over the last 20 years, the internet penetration rate has increased nearly three-fold in the UK, from 30 percent in 2000 to 87 percent as of 2019. During the latter year, over 90 percent of individuals in the UK accessed the internet at least once a day.  

E-commerce in the UK

The amount of online shopping that people in Great Britain are doing has increased since 2015 as well, with a penetration rate reaching 66 percent in the first quarter of 2019. The increase is more noticeable with smartphone users. According to the results of an annual interview conducted by the Office for National Statistics, most of the individuals in the UK purchased clothes or sports goods, at 60 percent, while a share of 34 percent of online consumers purchased books, magazines, and newspapers.