Adults in the United Kingdom spend an average of 4 hours and 20 minutes a day online, across phones, tablets, and computers, with over three-quarters of that on a phone. Those aged 18-24 spend an average of just over 6 hours a day online, with women spending an hour a day more than men. Research from the communications regulator Ofcom surveys the online landscape.
Almost half of the time spent is on services owned by Alphabet including Google and YouTube, or Meta, with Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, at just over 2 hours a day on average.
Alphabet had a monthly reach of 99% of all adults in the United Kingdom, followed by Meta at 96%.
YouTube was used by more than nine in ten adults in a month and by over half of online adults in day.
The sites and apps of Amazon, Microsoft and the BBC were the third, fourth, and fifth most visited organisations online.
The BBC had a monthly reach of 83% overall and 80% among those aged 18-24, dropping to 76% for those aged 25-34. However, the average time spent online per day with the BBC was just six minutes, compared to an hour each for Alphabet and Meta.
About three-quarters of online 18-24-year-olds visited TikTok in a month, spending an average of over an hour a day on the service. It was ranked sixth in reach among those aged 18-24, reaching over three quarters of them.
Even older adults spend over three hours a day online, based on the survey data from Ipsos. Those aged 55-64 spent 3 hours 47 minutes, 2 hours 39 minutes of which was on a phone. Among those aged over 65, the total was 3 hours 10 minutes, of which 1 hour 47 minutes was on a phone.
Among smartphone users, just over half said they used an Apple iPhone, with the rest using Android. Apple iPhone users were more likely to be younger, at 69% of those aged 16-24, and more affluent, at 58% of those in the AB socio-economic group.
Over three-quarters of homes had a smart television, rising to 83% for those in a household with those aged 35-44, and 82% of all those in socio-economic group AB.
However, 5% of households said they do not have internet access at home. 13% of those aged over 65 still do not have internet access at home, down from 18% in 2023, while a further 2% have access to the internet at home but do not use it.
The annual research from Ofcom provides many statistical insights into the use of online services in the United Kingdom.
The Online Nation 2024 Report is available from the Ofcom web site.