What are Information Society statistics?
Information Society statistics measure a range of different characteristics about how information and communication technologies (ICT) are used in the home and in the workplace.
They provide us with such information as - how many households and businesses use computers, how often people use computers, how many connect to the internet, the reasons why people connect to the internet, the types of goods and services that people buy on-line, the value of on-line sales and purchases, how many people use mobile phones, how many text messages are sent each year.
Information Society statistics also show the economic contribution of the ICT sector to the economy in terms of total employment and turnover. The ICT sector is made up of those enterprises who are
- engaged in the reproduction of recorded media;
- manufacturing office machinery, computers, and other specialised electronic and communication equipment;
- providing computer related service activities such as data processing, software and hardware maintenance and consultancy;
- wholesalers of computer related products.
Source of statistics on the Information Society
Statistics on the Information Society are obtained from a wide range of sources. Statistics on ICT usage in the home are obtained from a special module on ICT, which is included in the Quarterly National Household Survey in the first quarter each year. An annual survey of enterprises is conducted each year to measure the extent of e-Commerce and ICT usage by businesses. Statistics on the contribution of the ICT sector to the total economy are obtained from the main CSO annual business surveys. Information relating to the telecommunications sector is provided to the CSO by ComReg.
Who uses Information Society statistics ?
Information Society statistics are widely used by :
- Irish government departments, state agencies and local authorities
- the European Union and other international organisations
- all researchers with an interest in the knowledge economy
- business groups who are promoting greater ICT usage
- other special interest groups.