Information society

In the goal which it formulated in Lisbon, namely to make Europe a leading economic region, the European Union stated that developing a successful information society was a key priority. For the initiatives resulting from that stated objective, more statistical data will be required to provide indicators capable of describing what constitutes an information society.

The results of “Surveys on the usage of information and communication technologies (ICT) in enterprises (e-commerce)” and of “Surveys on ICT usage in households and by individuals” are an integral part of these indicators. These surveys are conducted as part of European surveys which use a standardised methodology and standardised definitions to guarantee comparability at the European level. Both surveys are carried out on an annual basis.

The “Survey on ICT usage in enterprises (e-commerce)” is conducted as a sample survey among enterprises of more than nine employed persons operating in selected economic sectors. It records data on computer and Internet usage and on purchases and sales over e-commerce, this means via websites (e.g. online shops) as well as automated data exchange via the Internet or via other electronic networks than the Internet.

The “Survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals” is a sample survey which comprises households with at least one household member aged 16 to 74 and individuals aged 16 to 74. The survey records the level of ICT equipment in households as well as data on computer and Internet usage by individuals.