CSO data shows that email remains the most popular internet activity, with 91% of internet users surveyed in 2022 using the service – down marginally on 2021 figures of 93%.

Internet banking is now the second-most-popular internet activity (90%), up by more than ten percentage points since 2021. 

The most popular online purchase remains clothes, shoes, or accessories (including bags and jewellery) at 71% of internet users, although this has decreased by nine percentage points on 2021 figures.

Fast-food to your door

More people are ordering ready-made food online. This rose to 58% of internet users in 2022, compared with 50% in the same period in 2021.

Dubliners were most likely to shop online (87%), followed by those in the south-east (84%), while internet users in the midland region were behind the trend, at 70%.

Dial ‘1’ for service

Almost four in ten (39%) internet users in 2022 made an online appointment or reservation with public authorities or services, such as the passport service or a hospital appointment.

In 2022, almost one in seven (15%) internet users had rented accommodation (room, apartment, house, holiday cottage, etc) via a website or app from a private person (for example, Airbnb).

This compares with just 4% of internet users in 2021, and 10% in 2020.