# Section 3 Internet Usage Trends

### 1. State of Internet proliferation

## (1) State of major ICT device proliferation (households)

## I CT device proliferation has matured overall, but smartphone ownership has increased rapidly, now topping 60 percent

The household penetration rate at the end of 2013 was 94.8 percent for mobile phones and PHS handsets $ ^{3} $ and 81.7 percent for computers. The penetration rate for smartphones, $ ^{4} $ which are included in the mobile phone and PHS handset category, has shot up to 62.6 percent (up 13.1 percentage points from a year earlier) (Figure 5-3-1-1).

## (2) State of Internet usage

## ● Both the number of Internet users and the Internet population penetration rate continued to increase from last year

The number of Internet users $ ^{5} $ at the end of 2013 reached 100.44 million, an increase of 3.92 million (4.1 percent) from the end of 2012. The Internet penetration rate as a percent of the general population was 82.8 percent (up 3.3 percentage points from the previous year) (Figure 5-3-1-2). Those using computers at home to access the Internet accounted for 58.4 percent of all Internet users, the largest portion, followed by 42.4 percent for smartphones and 27.9 percent for other computers outside of the home (Figure 5-3-1-3).

## (3) Purposes of using the Internet

### ● “Sending and receiving emails” was the most common use at home, cited by 69.9 percent of respondents

The most common purpose of using the Internet at home was “sending and receiving emails,” cited by 69.9 percent of respondents. This was followed, in order, by “purchasing or trading goods and services” (57.2 percent) and “using video posting/sharing sites” (48.4 percent) (Figure 5-3-1-4). Viewing the results by age group finds that more than half of users aged 20 to 59 use the Internet for “sending and receiving emails,” “purchasing or trading goods and services,” and “map or transportation information services.”

Figure 5-3-1-1 Transitions in household penetration rates for ict devices

(Source) "2013 Communications Usage Trend Survey," MIC

$ ^{3} $ The figures for mobile phones and PHS handsets have included personal digital assistants, or PDAs, since the end of 2009 to the end of 2012 and smartphones since the end of 2010. The penetration rate for mobile phones and PHS handsets excluding smartphones came to 76.5 percent.

$ ^{4} $ Figures for smartphones are included in the mobile phones and PHS handsets total.

$ ^{5} $ (1) The survey covers an age range of 6 and up. (2) The estimated number of Internet users is based on the results to a question on whether the respondents, aged 6 or older, had used the Internet in the year covered by the survey. Internet access devices include computers, mobile phones/PHS handsets, smartphones, tablets, game consoles, and all other devices (irrespective of device ownership). The purposes of using the Internet cover all possible purposes including personal, work, and school. (3) The number of Internet users was calculated by multiplying the estimated population aged 6 or older (estimated from Population Census and death table data) with the Internet usage rate obtained in the survey for people aged 6 or older. (4) The Communications Usage Trend Survey does not include the number of no responses in the calculations (except for Figure 5-3-1-1).