The number of British homes with access to the internet has risen by almost a million over the last 12 months, according to new research.Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggest that 15.2 million UK homes, equivalent to 61 per cent, now have a connection to the web.
This compares with ONS figures from last year which indicated that only 54 per cent of households had access to the internet in 2006.
Broadband connections as a proportion of total internet connections were also found to have increased, with 84 per cent of UK households with internet having broadband connections, up from 69 per cent last year.
London and the south-west of England were found to have the highest percentage of internet-connected homes, while Northern Ireland lagged behind with nine per cent fewer households connected than the national average.
Also below average in terms of web connections were the north-east and Yorkshire and the Humber.
In addition, there were found to be differences in connection rates between age groups, with 71 per cent of Britons over the age of 65 saying they had never used the web, as opposed to just four per cent of those aged between 16 and 24.
The ONS commented: "There was still a large difference between the number of young and older people accessing the internet."
Moreover, the study also found that online shopping is on the increase, with 53 per cent of internet users having bought goods online, an increase from last year's 44 per cent.
Last year, the Office of Communications stated that the internet is now an essential component of modern life.
