Internet - Community: Ukraine and its neighbours

Internet is used by 26% of Ukraine’s population at the age of 15 and older. This percentage is significantly lower compared to other countries in the region such as Czech Republic and Lithuania, with the half of their residents using the Internet.

Such were the results for the survey of Ukraine’s entire population (including the rural area inhabitants) which InMind Company performed over the month of December as part to the international Factum Group project.

International research network Factum Group, with the InMind as its representative in Ukraine, conducted the international representative research into the share of Internet users in 3 countries including: Ukraine, Czech Republic and Lithuania. The total number of those interviewed over the 4 quarter of 2007 amounted to 3.196 respondents.

Defined as Internet users, for the purpose of this particular research, were the respondents using the Internet at home or at any other place (except WAP).

75% of Czechs and 76% of Lithuanians use Internet at home, whereas the level of using Internet at home in Ukraine is 52%. Also, Ukrainians are less frequently, compared to Lithuanians and Czechs, use Internet in schools, colleges and universities (8% compared to 15% and 21% respectively). This is attributable to the general level of computerizing the educational establishments, particularly in the small towns and villages. At the same time, the number of Ukrainian Internet users by means of mobile phone and Pocket Personal computer is not less than that of it neighbors.

Each of the surveyed countries also differs in terms of preferred type of Internet connection. The most popular type of Internet connection in Ukraine include: Dial-up (26%), separate line (24%) and xDSL technology (19%). The preferences in Czech Republic are as follows: xDSL (22%), Wi-Fi (22%) and separate line (21%), and those in Lithuania – connection through cable networks (28%) and Dial-up (19%).

45% of Internet users in Lithuania use Internet banking, and another 21% are planning to use it. In Czech Republic one third of Internet users (30%) use Internet –banking. This percentage in Ukraine is much lower – only 11% of Internet users manage their accounts through Internet. Absence of such service at the banking services market may be cited as the reason.

It is interesting to note that Czech residents are the most active in buying things through Internet– half of Internet users in this country have made at least one purchase through Internet. This percentage is much lower in Ukraine and Lithuania – 10% and 14% respectively.

8% of Czech and 9% of Lithuaniais people use VoIP, whereas for Ukraine this number is at level the of 2% respectively. The Czechs demonstrate much higher level of knowledge about this service (46%). In Lithuania, the level of this service knowledge is somewhat lower - 39%. Meanwhile, in Ukraine only 15% of its population have heard of VoIP.

In her comments of the survey results Yelena Bondarchyk, Head of InMind’s Analytical Department noted: "Based on the InMind’s active survey of the Internet audience in Ukraine, registered is a positive increase dynamics in the share of the Internet users in Ukraine. Even though 26% does look somewhat unpretentious compared to that of our neighbors, in absolute terms, however, this implies that above 10 ml. of Ukrainian residents are using Internet, and this is a large audience already".

It should be noted that by now a quarter of Ukraine’s residents (25%) use PC and notebooks at home. For Czech Republic and Lithuaniais the numbers are higher – 44% and 47% respectively. On the whole, 37% of Ukrainians have access to computer.

Ukrainians, compared to Lithuanians and Czechs, are considerably more active in their use of the fixed telephone lines – 61% against 40% and 26% respectively. While the share of mobile phone users is not that different – 73% of Ukrainians own mobile phones, in Czech Republic this number is – 88%, in Lithuania – 83%. The differences in the number of those using the office cell phones are also not big – in Ukraine every tenth citizen (10%) enjoys access to work mobile, this number for Czech Republic is – 13%, and Lithuania – 9%.

Project information: The InMind Company performed the survey in December 2007 and employed the method of representative face to face survey of Ukrainian residents at the age of 15 and elder.
The size of selection in Ukraine is: 1049 respondents. Theoretical error in the selection does not exceed 3%.