Silver surfer numbers reach 11.5m across Europe

by Jennifer Whitehead,, Brand Republic 17-Nov-03, 08:00

LONDON - There are now more than 11.5m older people online in Europe, according to new research, with the UK having the second highest proportion of over-55s using the internet.

The research by Nielsen//NetRatings says that Sweden has the highest proportion of older internet users, with 19.4% of people online aged over 55. In the UK, 17.3% of surfers are in that age bracket.

The survey found that older people go online to visit financial sites such as LloydsTSB and Barclays, and that they also like to visit mapping sites, such as Multimap.

Tom Ewing, marketing analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings, said that older internet users are still not being effectively targeted by marketers.

"Site owners have an opportunity to promote their products and services to this growing audience, many of whom are already organising their finances and booking holidays online. However, they do need to research their audience in order to tailor their sites, products and services more carefully," he said.

Sweden has the most older women online, followed by the UK and the Netherlands. Germany has the lowest, with only one in five silver surfers being female.

If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the Forum here.