The latest Europe-wide Mediascope survey from the European Interactive Advertising Association (EIAA) shows women outnumbering men online for the first time in the web’s history.
The study shows 89.3 million European women using the internet on a weekly basis, compared to 88.7 million men. Although the female advantage may be slight at this point, it comes as a result of major growth in the percentage of women logging on weekly: a 33 per cent increase since 2004, compared to a mere 16 per cent rise for men.
The dramatic growth in the number of women online has implications for patterns of web use – and for the popularity of different online channels. Almost three quarters (74 per cent) of women say that they are “staying in touch with friends and relatives more as a result of the internet”, a fact reflected in their greater use of social networks (43 per cent, versus 39 per cent for men) and the surging growth in the number of women bloggers (up 21 per cent since 2007).
Men remain the leaders in time spent online, with an average of 12.9 hours per week versus 11.1 for women. They are also significantly more likely to watch film, TV and video clips (31 per cent versus 23 per cent of women), more confident about managing finances online and more interested in technology, sports and motoring sites.
Although over 80 per cent of both sexes shop online (85 per cent of women and 83 per cent of men) they tend to focus on different areas, women favouring clothes and books and men drawn to electrical goods.
