Those over 65 buy online eight times more than a decade ago

The use of the internet is so integrated into our lives that acquiring products and services through a device with a connection is increasingly common among Spaniards regardless of age range.. The latest Survey on Equipment and Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Homes shows that 1,218,571 people between 65 and 74 years old have made purchases online in the last three months, representing 6% of the total number of consumers. Nacional level.

The imperative use of physical money has been left behind, figures from the statistical institute show that in the last decade the interest of the elderly population in online transactions has grown strongly.. In 2023, those over 65 years of age will buy eight times more online (24.8%) than they did in 2003, when the percentage barely reached 3.7%.. A significant increase considering that in the same period young people, between 16 and 24 years old, increased the percentage of virtual purchases only three times, going from 26.9% to 63.4%.

As it could not be otherwise, the year of the pandemic has been a turning point in the increase in people using digital media to satisfy their needs.. In 2019, only 46.9% of Spain's population resorted to purchases through web channels, but a year later this value rose seven percentage points; the same points that increased the operations of the population over 65 years of age in that period.

Furthermore, the data reveal that without distinction of age, about 30% of Spaniards who purchase their products online spend between 100 to 300 euros.

Leaving aside the acquisition of products in physical format, which the INE does not disaggregate, online subscriptions are the most acclaimed in the country with 15,058,777 million buyers. Catalonia, Madrid, Andalusia and the Valencian Community are the communities where the largest population invested their money in this item. And, consequently, in the national panorama, subscriptions are also the category most purchased by different age groups: 67.9% for the population. 65 and 74 years old and 84.4% for the youngest in the survey.

Other items that stand out in both groups are payments for cultural events, streaming movies or series, downloading software and online games.

What those over 65 do have the lead in is the number of times they make purchase transactions per month.. Although the bulk of buyers without age bias resort to online shopping once or twice a month, 13.7% of older adults do so between 6 and 10 times, compared to 11% of young people who resort to this frequency..