Two-thirds of over 50s don’t go online in Singapore

The connected granny is just a myth.

Singapore has the highest level of Internet penetration in Southeast Asia and Singaporean consumers access the Internet more frequently than consumers in any other market across the SEA region, according to a report by Nielsen.

The report, a pre-release of data from Nielsen’s inaugural Southeast Asia Digital Consumer Report, found that consumption of digital media in Singapore is at record levels. Two thirds of Singapore’s population aged 15+ or 67% now use the Internet, 29 points higher than the SEA regional average of 38 percent.

Internet penetration in Singapore is highest amongst the country’s youth segment with 97% of 15 to 19 year olds online, and tapers off to just 33 percent for Singaporeans aged 50+.

Singapore also exhibits the highest frequency of Internet access across the region – amongst online Singaporeans, 80 percent are accessing the Internet on a daily basis.

Comments Rebecca Tan, Managing Director of Nielsen’s Media division in Singapore, “As digital media continues to grow and become an ingrained and essential part of many consumers’ everyday lives and activities, it is presenting advertisers with an increasing array of opportunities to communicate and interact with consumers. This new study provides a comprehensive view of today’s digital consumers in Singapore, and across Southeast Asia, and forms a benchmark from which future growth and changes in behaviour will be measured.

Nielsen intends to conduct this study on an annual basis to continue to provide our market with valuable metrics to guide and justify their investment decisions in the digital space.”

The pre-released findings provide clear indications that Singaporean digital consumers have a strong motivation to purchase new technologies which make it easier to access digital media anywhere, anytime. Close to one in four digital consumers in Singapore or 23% now have a tablet computer in the household and over two thirds or 70% use a Smartphone.

Tan adds: “While Singaporeans still largely access the Internet via PCs, the growing popularity of connected devices such as the iPhone and iPad and increasing availability of cheaper mobile Internet price plans is paving the way for growth in mobile and tablet Internet usage in the future.”

The study also takes an in-depth look at the way consumers are tapping into social media to inform their purchase decisions and to form relationships with brands. Social media platforms are growing in popularity and 85% of Singaporeans report accessing social media sites, many to connect or engage with brands and companies (69%).

With use of social media and interaction with fellow online consumers increasing, Singaporeans’ trust in consumer opinions posted online is high. Online product reviews and discussion forums are one of the most trusted sources of recommendations in purchase decision making, second only to recommendations from family and friends.

“Social media enables consumers to obtain opinions and information from sources that were
previously not possible,” observes Tan. “As a result, consumers are flocking to popular social
networks to help them make purchase decisions and the platform has become one of the most
influential forms of information available.”