Statistics on Smartphone Use Among Seniors: How Many, by Age and Country, and Who Is Still Offline

78% of US adults aged 65 and older own a smartphone (2025).

Smartphones are now the norm among Americans past retirement age, and almost every older adult has a phone of some kind. The figures below come from different surveys, and each names what it counts: owning a smartphone, using one, or going online with a phone, and at what age.

• 95% of US adults aged 65 and older own a cellphone of any kind (2025).
• 16% of US adults aged 65 and older own a cellphone that is not a smartphone (2025), against 2% of adults aged 18 to 29 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 75.4% of US households headed by someone aged 65 or older had a smartphone in 2021, against 90.0% of all households and 97.9% of households headed by someone aged 15 to 34 (US Census Bureau, 2024).
• 62.4% of US households headed by someone aged 65 or older had a smartphone in 2018, against 84.4% of all households (US Census Bureau, 2021).
• 48.5% of US households headed by someone aged 65 or older had a smartphone in 2016, against 76.5% of all households (US Census Bureau, 2018).

Why the numbers disagree

Four things move a figure by ten points or more: the age band, whether a survey asks about owning or using a phone, how it reaches people, and who runs it. Each pair below shows one of them.

• 90% of US adults aged 50+ own a smartphone in 2025, up from 55% in 2016.
• 61% of US adults aged 65 and older owned a smartphone in early 2021, against 96% of adults aged 18 to 29 (Pew Research Center, 2022).
• 65.6% of people aged 65 and older in the US used a smartphone or internet-connected cell phone in November 2021 (NTIA, 2024).
• 68.1% of people aged 70-79 in Japan owned a smartphone in August 2025, up from 3.7% in 2013 (all ages 6+: 78.9%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 86% of people aged 70-79 in Japan owned a smartphone in January 2026, in an industry survey of people aged 60-84 (NTT Docomo Mobile Society Research Institute, 2026).
• 95% of people aged 60-69 in Japan owned a smartphone in January 2026, in an industry survey of people aged 60-84 (NTT Docomo Mobile Society Research Institute, 2026).
• 72% of UK adults aged 75 and over personally used a smartphone in 2026, against 95% of all adults (Ofcom Technology Tracker, 2026).
• 56% of UK adults aged 75 and over used a smartphone in autumn 2025 (Ofcom Adults' Media Literacy Tracker, 2026).
• 74.5% of Brazilians aged 60 and older used the internet in the previous three months in 2025, compared with 90.5% of the whole population aged 10 and older (IBGE, PNAD Contínua ICT module 2025).
• 54% of Brazilians aged 60 and older were internet users (used it in the past three months) in 2025, compared with 85% of the population aged 10 and older (Cetic.br, TIC Domicílios 2025).
• 63% of people aged 75 and over in Ireland had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 54% in 2024 (CSO, 2025).
• 87.6% of people aged 75-89 in Ireland had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).

Sources: Pew Research Center (2022, 2025); US Census Bureau (2018, 2021, 2024); Ofcom (2026); Statistics Canada; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan; Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea / Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs; Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong SAR; Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore; Statistics Finland; Eurostat (2026); Statistics Sweden; Swiss Federal Statistical Office; Statistics Netherlands; Australian Communications and Media Authority; Cetic.br / NIC.br (2025); Observatorio del Envejecimiento, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Confuturo; Afrobarometer; AARP Research (2018, 2020, 2025); National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; NTT Docomo Mobile Society Research Institute; Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística; Central Statistics Office Ireland

71.7% of people aged 65 and older in the US used a smartphone or internet-connected cell phone in November 2023, up from 6.6% in July 2011 (NTIA, 2024).

The charts below set each older age group beside the one ten years younger in the same survey, so the next seniors can be seen coming.

• 79% of US adults aged 65 and older owned a smartphone in 2024, against 91% of those aged 50 to 64 (Pew Research Center, 2024).
• 92% of US adults aged 18 to 49 owned a smartphone in 2025, statistically level with 90% of adults aged 50 and older (AARP Research, 2025).

The next seniors are already connected

In every country that publishes comparable age bands, the group ten years younger is further along, and the older group follows on much the same path a few years later.

• 79.0% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the 3 months before the survey in 2025, up from 13.7% in 2007 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 92.0% of people aged 55-64 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the 3 months before the survey in 2025, against 79.0% of those aged 65-74 and 93.8% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat ICT survey).
• 86.7% of people aged 55-64 in the EU-27 used the internet on a mobile phone or smartphone in the last 3 months in 2025, against 70.3% of those aged 65-74 and 89.9% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat ICT survey).
• 93.8% of all people aged 16-74 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 55.0% in 2007 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 89.9% of people aged 16-74 (all individuals) in the EU-27 used the internet on a mobile phone or smartphone in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 62.1% in 2016 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).

• 93% of people aged 50-59 in Japan owned a smartphone in August 2025, up from 33.4% in 2013 (all ages 6+: 78.9%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 88.6% of people aged 60-69 in Japan owned a smartphone in August 2025, up from 16.2% in 2014 (all ages 6+: 78.9%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).

• 93.4% of UK adults aged 55-64 personally used a smartphone in 2025, against 92% of all adults (derived from Ofcom Technology Tracker 2025 tables).
• 88% of UK adults aged 65-74 personally used a smartphone in 2026, against 95% of all adults (Ofcom Technology Tracker, 2026).
• 53% of adults aged 65 and over in Great Britain used a smartphone for private use in 2020, against 84% of all adults (ONS, 2020).

• 99.5% of people aged 55-64 in Hong Kong had a smartphone in 2025, against 89.7% of those aged 65 and over and 96.8% of all persons aged 10 and over (Census and Statistics Department, 2026).

• 99.8% of people in their 60s in South Korea owned a smartphone in July 2025, against 92.6% of those aged 70 and over (50s: 100.0%; all aged 6+: 98.8%) (Ministry of Science and ICT and NIA, 2026).
• 92.6% of people aged 70 and over in South Korea owned a smartphone in July 2025, up from 67.9% in 2021 (Ministry of Science and ICT and NIA, 2026).

• 100% of Singapore residents aged 40-59 owned a smartphone in 2025, against 94% of residents aged 60 and over and 98% of all residents aged 18 and over (IMDA, 2026).

• 91% of all people aged 16-89 in Finland had a touch-screen mobile phone (smartphone) in use in 2025 (Statistics Finland).

Two engines of growth

Split the ten-year rise of an older age group into the head start of the generation moving into it and the adoption that happened afterwards, and both turn out to matter. For smartphones, adoption after 60 did most of the work; for going online at all, the generation arriving from the age group below did.

• 39.7 percentage points was the rise in smartphone ownership in the Japanese generation aged 60-69 at the end of 2015 by the time it was aged 70-79 in August 2025, from 28.4% to 68.1% (pseudo-cohort; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2016 and 2026).
• 31.7 percentage points was the rise in smartphone ownership in the Japanese generation aged 50-59 at the end of 2015 by the time it was aged 60-69 in August 2025, from 56.9% to 88.6% (pseudo-cohort; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2016 and 2026).
• 42 percentage points: personal smartphone use among UK adults born around 1949-1959 rose from 44% at ages 55-64 in May-July 2014 to 86% at ages 65-74 in January-April 2024 (derived from Ofcom Technology Tracker tables, 2014 and 2024).
• 15.9 percentage points was the rise in internet use (last 3 months) in the EU-27 generation aged 55-64 in 2015 by the time it was aged 65-74 in 2025, from 63.1% to 79.0% (pseudo-cohort; Eurostat ICT survey).
• 19.2 percentage points separated smartphone ownership among people aged 60-69 (28.4%) and those aged 70-79 (9.2%) in Japan at the end of 2015, the head start of the generation that was in its 70s by 2025 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2016).
• 22 percentage points separated personal smartphone use among UK adults aged 55-64 (44%) and those aged 65-74 (22%) in May-July 2014 (derived from Ofcom Technology Tracker, 2014).
• 22.2 percentage points separated internet use (last 3 months) among people aged 55-64 (63.1%) and those aged 65-74 (40.9%) in the EU-27 in 2015, the head start of the generation that turned 65-74 by 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey).

Year on year

Over a single year the change is small, sometimes within a survey's margin of error, which is why the long series matter more than any one jump. The oldest groups still rise fastest, because they have the most room to grow.

• 57.3% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 85 and older living in the community owned a smartphone in 2024, against 90.8% of those aged 65 to 74 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2025).
• 81.5% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 75 to 84 living in the community owned a smartphone in 2024 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2025).
• 90.8% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 to 74 living in the community owned a smartphone in 2024 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2025).
• 76.6% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 85 and older living in the community had access to the internet in 2024 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2025).
• 72.9% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 85 and older living in the community had access to the internet in 2023 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2025).
• 12 percentage points was the one-year rise in smartphone ownership among US adults aged 65 and older between 2015 and November 2016, taking it to 42%, while ownership among those aged 50-64 rose 16 points to 74% (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 16 percentage points was the one-year rise in smartphone ownership among US adults aged 50 to 64 between 2015 and November 2016, taking it to 74% (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 2 percentage points was the change in smartphone ownership among US adults aged 65 and older between May 2011 (11%) and February 2012 (13%), a change Pew did not find statistically significant, while ownership among those aged 55-64 rose 9 points (Pew Research Center, 2012).

More seniors to connect

The age group is growing too, so the number of older people with a smartphone is rising faster than the share alone suggests.

• 1 in 5 US residents (20%) will be of retirement age by 2030, the year by which all baby boomers will be older than 65 (US Census Bureau, 2017 National Population Projections, 2018).
• 22.0% of the EU-27 population was aged 65 or over on 1 January 2025, up 2.9 percentage points in ten years, and Eurostat projects the share to reach 32.5% by 2100 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 29.4% of Japan's population (36.22 million people) was aged 65 or over on 1 October 2025, and those aged 75 and over (17.3% of the population) outnumbered those aged 65-74 (12.1%) (Cabinet Office, Annual Report on the Ageing Society 2026).
• 2.2 billion people worldwide are projected to be aged 65 or older by the late 2070s, outnumbering children under 18 (United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024).

Sources: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; Pew Research Center (2011-2025); AARP Research; Eurostat (2026); Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan (2014-2026); Ofcom (2013-2026); Office for National Statistics; Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong SAR (2015-2026); Ministry of Science and ICT / Korea Internet & Security Agency, Korea; Ministry of Science and ICT / National Information Society Agency, Korea (2020-2026); Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore (2023, 2026); Statistics Finland; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (2025); US Census Bureau; Cabinet Office, Japan; United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division

61.8% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 85 and older living in the community owned a smartphone in 2025, against 91.3% of those aged 65 to 74 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).

Ownership falls with every five years of age, slowly at first and steeply after 80. The oldest groups are where the growth now is, and where most of the people still without a smartphone are.

• 91.3% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 to 74 living in the community owned a smartphone in 2025 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 84.2% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 75 to 84 living in the community owned a smartphone in 2025 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 75.4% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 85 and older living in the community owned a computer, smartphone or tablet in 2025, against 95% of those aged 65 to 74 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 77.6% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 85 and older living in the community had access to the internet in 2025, against 94.6% of those aged 65 to 74 and 90.8% of those aged 75 to 84 (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 36.7% of people aged 80 and over in Japan owned a smartphone in autumn 2025, against 88.7% of those aged 60-64 (65-69: 83.5%; 70-74: 76.3%; 75-79: 67.5%; all 60+: 69.6%) (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2026).
• 65.7% of people aged 65 and over in Japan owned a smartphone in autumn 2025, and 52.4% of those aged 75 and over (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2026).
• 69.6% of people aged 60 and over in Japan owned a smartphone in autumn 2025, up from 47.6% in 2020 (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2026).
• 43% of US adults aged 75 and older owned a smartphone in early 2021, against 71% of those aged 65 to 74 (Pew Research Center, 2021).
• 40% of US adults aged 75 and older owned a smartphone in early 2019, against 59% of those aged 65 to 74 (Pew Research Center, 2019).
• 83.1% of people aged 65-69 in Taiwan had used the internet in 2025 (60-64: 89.4%; all aged 12+: 90.3%) (Ministry of Digital Affairs, 2026).
• 67.2% of people aged 70-74 in Taiwan had used the internet in 2025 (60-64: 89.4%; all aged 12+: 90.3%) (Ministry of Digital Affairs, 2026).
• 50.3% of people aged 75-89 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, the only year with an EU figure for this age band in Eurostat's internet-use table (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 53.0% of people aged 75-84 in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 87% of people aged 75-84 in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2026 (Statistics Sweden).
• 74% of people aged 75-84 in Sweden accessed the internet with a mobile phone or smartphone in 2025 (Statistics Sweden, 2025).
• 36% of people aged 85 and over in Sweden accessed the internet with a mobile phone or smartphone in 2025 (Statistics Sweden, 2025).
• 86% of people aged 80-84 in Denmark had used the internet in the last year in 2025, against 98% of all 15-89-year-olds (Aeldre Sagen analysis of Statistics Denmark data, 2026).
• 85% of people aged 75-89 in Denmark were internet users (online in the last 3 months) in 2024, against 98% of all 15-89-year-olds (Statistics Denmark, 2024).
• 40.8% of Canadians aged 80 and older were internet users in 2016, against 62.2% at 75 to 79, 75.3% at 70 to 74 and 84.9% at 65 to 69 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 59.2% of Canadians aged 80 and older had not used the internet in the past month in 2016, compared with 15.0% of those aged 65 to 69, 31.8% of all seniors and 2.8% of Canadians under 65 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 42% of Chileans aged 60 and older had used the internet in the past month in 2022: 58% of those aged 60 to 69, 30% of those aged 70 to 79 and 13% of those aged 80 and older (Encuesta Calidad de Vida en la Vejez 2022; Observatorio del Envejecimiento UC-Confuturo, 2024).
• 45.8% of Kenyans aged 75 and older (317,843 of 694,217) owned a mobile phone at the 2019 census, compared with 68.5% of those aged 65 to 74 and 83.9% of those aged 25 to 34 (KNBS, 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census).

How the ladder looked a decade ago

These older surveys are the source of figures still quoted as current; they are shown here with their years.

• 59% of US adults aged 65 to 69 owned a smartphone in late 2016, against 42% of all adults 65 and older (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 49% of US adults aged 70 to 74 owned a smartphone in late 2016, against 42% of all adults 65 and older (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 31% of US adults aged 75 to 79 owned a smartphone in late 2016, against 42% of all adults 65 and older (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 17% of US adults aged 80 and older owned a smartphone in late 2016, against 42% of all adults 65 and older (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 58% of US adults aged 80 and older owned a cellphone of any kind in 2016, against 95% at 65 to 69, 93% at 70 to 74 and 63% at 75 to 79 (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 44% of US adults aged 80 and older said they go online in 2016, against 82% at 65 to 69, 75% at 70 to 74 and 60% at 75 to 79 (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 28% of US adults aged 80 and older had home broadband in 2016, against 66% at 65 to 69, 61% at 70 to 74 and 41% at 75 to 79 (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 5% of US adults aged 80 and older owned a smartphone in 2013, against 29% of those aged 65 to 69, 21% at 70 to 74 and 10% at 75 to 79 (Pew Research Center, 2014).
• 29% of US adults aged 70 and older owned a smartphone in July 2016, against 73% of those aged 50 to 59 and 54% of those aged 60 to 69 (AARP Research, 2016).
• 55% of US adults aged 70 and older owned a smartphone in November 2017, against 78% of those aged 50 to 59 and 73% of those aged 60 to 69 (AARP Research, 2017).
• 62% of US adults aged 70 and older had a smartphone in mid-2019, against 86% of those aged 50 to 59 and 81% of those aged 60 to 69 (AARP Research, 2020).

Sources: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey; Cabinet Office, Japan (2026); Pew Research Center (2014-2021); Ministry of Digital Affairs, Taiwan; Eurostat (2026); Instituto Nacional de Estadística; Statistics Sweden (2025, 2026); Ældre Sagen; Statistics Denmark; Statistics Canada (2019, 2023); Observatorio del Envejecimiento, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Confuturo; Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea / Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs; National Health and Aging Trends Study, Johns Hopkins / University of Michigan, funded by the National Institute on Aging; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan; Statistics Finland; Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía; NTT Docomo Mobile Society Research Institute; AARP Research (2016, 2017, 2020)

99.9% of people aged 65-74 in Denmark had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, against an EU-27 average of 79.0% (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).

Northern Europe leads by a wide margin; southern and eastern Europe, Türkiye and much of Latin America trail, and the gap is widest among the oldest. The tables name the measure, because Eurostat counts going online, not owning a phone.

At 75 and over

National surveys and the rest of the world

• 161 million people aged 60 and over in China were internet users in June 2025, an internet use rate of 52.0% for that age group, 8.7 points higher than at the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (CNNIC, 2025).
• About 173 million people aged 60 and over in China were internet users in December 2025: 15.4% of 1.125 billion users (CNNIC, 2026; our calculation).
• 119 million people aged 60 and over in China were internet users in December 2021, 11.5% of all users, and 43.2% of people aged 60+ used the internet (CNNIC, 2022).
• 52.5% of people aged 60 and over in China used the internet in December 2024, against 78.6% of the whole population (CNNIC, 2025).
• 43.2% of people aged 60 and over in China used the internet in December 2021 (CNNIC, 2022).
• 12.29 million people aged 60 and over in South Korea used the internet in July 2025, 83.8% of that age group (Ministry of Science and ICT and NIA, 2026).
• 94.4% of South Koreans aged 55 and over owned a smartphone in 2025, against 98.8% of the general public; among those aged 70 and over, 86.8% owned a mobile smart device (Ministry of Science and ICT and NIA, 2026).
• 1,559,200 people aged 65 and over in Hong Kong had a smartphone in 2025, 24.2% of all smartphone holders aged 10+ (Census and Statistics Department, 2026).
• 53.8% of people aged 70 and over in Taiwan used the internet in 2025, up from 50.2% in 2024 (60-69: 85.0%) (Taiwan Network Information Center, 2025).
• 50.2% of people aged 70 and over in Taiwan used the internet in 2024 (Taiwan Network Information Center, 2025).
• 56 in 100 people aged 60 and over in eight lower-connectivity counties of Taiwan owned a smartphone in 2022, and 55.6% had ever used the internet (Ministry of Digital Affairs, 2023).
• 89% of people in their 60s and 70s in Japan's Kanto region owned a smartphone in January 2025, about four times the 2015 level, while basic mobile phone ownership fell to 7% (NTT Docomo Mobile Society Research Institute, 2025).
• 80.3% of Brazilians aged 60 and older had a mobile phone for personal use in 2025, compared with 89.8% of the whole population aged 10 and older (IBGE, PNAD Contínua ICT module 2025).
• 74% of Brazilians aged 60 and older owned a mobile phone in 2025, compared with 89% of the population aged 10 and older (Cetic.br, TIC Domicílios 2025).
• 85.1% of people aged 65 and older in urban Argentina used a mobile phone in the fourth quarter of 2024, compared with 90.5% of the urban population aged 4 and older (INDEC, EPH-MAUTIC 2024).
• 83.3% of Peruvians aged 60 and older used a mobile phone in the fourth quarter of 2025, compared with 91.0% of the population aged 6 and older (INEI, ENAHO, preliminary).
• 86.1% of Colombians aged 55 and older had a mobile phone in 2025, and 91.5% had used one (DANE, ECV ICT module 2025).
• 78.3% of Colombians aged 55 and older had a mobile phone in 2018 (DANE, ECV ICT module 2018).
• 57.8% of Mexicans aged 65 to 74 used the internet in 2025, compared with 86.1% of the population aged 6 and older (INEGI, ENDUTIH 2025; published 2026).
• 87.1% of Indian households with a member aged 45 or over had a mobile phone in 2017-18 (urban 93.6%, rural 84.1%) (International Institute for Population Sciences, LASI Wave 1, 2020).
• 78% of Africans aged over 60 owned a mobile phone in 2019/2021, but only 21% owned one with internet access, compared with 84% and 53% of those aged 18 to 30, on average across 34 countries (Afrobarometer Round 8; Dispatch 582, 2022).
• 72% of Canadians aged 50 and older owned a smartphone in 2022, up from 46% in 2015, while ownership among young adults barely changed (Pew Research Center, Spring 2022 Global Attitudes Survey).
• 90% of Canadians aged 50 and older used the internet or owned a smartphone in 2022, against 100% of those aged 18 to 29 (Pew Research Center, Spring 2022 Global Attitudes Survey).
• 85% of Israelis aged 50 and older used the internet or owned a smartphone in 2022, against 93% of those aged 18 to 29 (Pew Research Center, Spring 2022 Global Attitudes Survey).
• 57% of adults aged 50 and older in Poland used the internet or owned a smartphone in 2022, the lowest of 18 advanced economies surveyed, against 63% in Hungary, 93% in the Netherlands and 98% in South Korea (Pew Research Center, Spring 2022 Global Attitudes Survey).
• 76.3% of Canadians aged 65 and older used the internet for personal use in the past three months in 2020, compared with 92.3% of all Canadians aged 15 and older (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2020).
• 71.2% of Canadians aged 65 and older used the internet for personal use in the past three months in 2018, compared with 91.3% of all Canadians aged 15 and older (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2018).
• 62% of Canadians aged 75 and older had used the internet in 2020 (given as 'about 62%'), against a national average of 92% (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2020).
• 42.8% of Canadians aged 65 and older had a smartphone for personal use in 2018, compared with 80.3% of all Canadians aged 15 and older (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2018).
• 68.2% of Canadians aged 65 and older were internet users in 2016 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 52.4% of Canadians aged 65 and older were internet users in 2013 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 46.0% of Canadians aged 65 and older were internet users in 2010 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 32.2% of Canadians aged 65 and older were internet users in 2007 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 28.5% of Canadians aged 80 and older were internet users in 2013, compared with 69.5% of those aged 65 to 69 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 23.1% of Canadians aged 80 and older were internet users in 2010, compared with 66.2% of those aged 65 to 69 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 15.5% of Canadians aged 80 and older were internet users in 2007, compared with 47.0% of those aged 65 to 69 (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 49% of Uruguayans aged 65 and older had used the internet in the last three months in 2019, compared with 87% of all people aged 14 and older (AGESIC and INE, EUTIC 2019, as reported in EUTIC 2022).
• 85.5% of adults aged 65-74 in the UK had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2020 (ONS Internet users, 2021).
• 61.1% of adults aged 65-74 in the UK had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2013 (ONS Internet users, 2021).
• 92.1% of all adults aged 16 and over in the UK had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2020 (ONS Internet users, 2021).
• 86.9% of people aged 60-74 in France had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Insee, 2026).
• 89.6% of all people aged 15 and over in France had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Insee, 2026).
• 96% of people aged 65-74 in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2026 (Statistics Sweden, 2026).
• 97% of all people aged 16 and over in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2026 (Statistics Sweden, 2026).
• 54% of people aged 75 and over in Ireland had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2024 (CSO, 2025).
• 65.1% of people aged 75-84 in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 53.8% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 53.8% of people aged 75-84 in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 51.7% of people aged 60 and over in Switzerland had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2014 (Swiss Federal Statistical Office).
• 99% of people aged 60-74 in Denmark had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2026, up from 54% in 2008 (Statistics Denmark, 2026).
• 54% of people aged 60-74 in Denmark had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2008 (Statistics Denmark).
• 99% of people aged 75-79 in Norway had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2026, up from 16% in 2006 (Statistics Norway, 2026).
• 16% of people aged 75-79 in Norway had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2006 (Statistics Norway).
• 67% of people aged 75-89 in Finland had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Statistics Finland).
• 27% of people aged 75-89 in Finland had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2013 (Statistics Finland).
• 15% of people aged 65-74 in Finland had a touch-screen mobile phone (smartphone) in use in 2013 (Statistics Finland).
• 37.4% of people aged 75 and over in the Netherlands used a mobile phone or smartphone to go online in 2020 (CBS).
• 60% of people aged 85 and over in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2024 (Statistics Sweden).
• 57% of people aged 85 and over in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Statistics Sweden).
• 79% of people aged 75-84 in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2022 (Statistics Sweden).
• 72.4% of people aged 65 and over in Japan used the internet in the 12 months to September 2019, up from 48.2% in 2013 (60-64: 94.2%; 65-69: 87.1%; 70-74: 76.7%; 75-79: 71.2%; 80+: 57.5%; all ages 6+: 89.8%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2020).
• 57.5% of people aged 80 and over in Japan used the internet in the 12 months to September 2019, up from 22.3% in 2013 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2020).

Sources: Eurostat (2026); OECD Directorate for Science, Technology and Innovation; China Internet Network Information Center (2020-2026); Ministry of Science and ICT / National Information Society Agency, Korea (2022-2026); Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong SAR (2017-2026); Infocomm Media Development Authority, Singapore; Ministry of Digital Affairs, Taiwan (2023, 2026); Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan (2014-2026); Australian Communications and Media Authority; Statistics Canada (2019, 2021, 2023); Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos, Argentina (2018-2025); Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, Colombia (2019-2026); Instituto Nacional de Estadística e Informática, Peru; Agencia de Gobierno Electrónico y Sociedad de la Información y del Conocimiento and Instituto Nacional de Estadística, Uruguay; Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (2025, 2026); Swiss Federal Statistical Office; Insee (2024, 2026); Statistics Netherlands (2019, 2025); Istat; Instituto Nacional de Estadística; Office for National Statistics (2021); Kenya National Bureau of Statistics; Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (2026); Taiwan Network Information Center; NTT Docomo Mobile Society Research Institute; Cetic.br / NIC.br (2008-2025); International Institute for Population Sciences, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Southern California; Afrobarometer; Pew Research Center (2019, 2022); Statistics Sweden; Central Statistics Office Ireland; Statistik Austria; Statistics Denmark; Statistics Norway; Statistics Finland

33.1% of people aged 65 and over with no formal schooling in South Korea owned a smartphone in 2023, against 95.2% of those with a college education (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024).

Education and income divide older people more sharply than age alone, and so does living alone. The same pattern appears in every country with the data.

Living alone

• 61.2% of people aged 60 and over who live alone in Japan owned a smartphone in autumn 2025, against 78.1% of those living with a spouse and 69.6% of all people 60+ (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2026).
• 51.4% of women aged 60 and over who live alone in Japan owned a smartphone in autumn 2025, against 72.4% of men living alone (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2026).
• 68.1% of people aged 65 and over who live alone in South Korea owned a smartphone in 2023, against 83.0% of those in older-couple households and 68.3% of those living with their children (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024).
• 68.1% of people aged 65 and over in South Korea used a smartphone in 2023, below the 76.6% who owned one; among those living alone 57.3% used one (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024).
• 60.9% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 72 and older who live alone went online in the past month in 2023, up from 26.4% in 2011, against 80.3% of those living with a spouse only (NHATS Trends Chart Book, 2026).
• 83.4% of Medicare beneficiaries living alone in the community owned a smartphone in 2025, against 87.3% of those living with someone else (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 87.3% of Medicare beneficiaries living alone in the community had access to the internet in 2025, against 93.5% of those living with someone else (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 62.7% was the predicted probability of internet use for Canadian seniors living alone in 2016, against 70.6% for seniors living with others, after adjusting for age, gender, employment, education, rural residence and health (General Social Survey; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 69.1% of people aged 65-84 living alone (one-person households) in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 57.2% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 77.6% of people aged 65-84 living with others (multi-person households) in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 73.5% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 75.0% of people aged 65-84 in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 68.5% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 43.5% of people aged 75 and over who live alone in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, close to the 44.2% of those living as a couple without children (INE, 2025).
• 44.2% of people aged 75 and over living as a couple without children in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 71% of Chilean older people living alone had an internet connection at home in 2022, against 88% of all households with an older member (CASEN 2022; Observatorio del Envejecimiento UC-Confuturo, 2024).
• 61.4% of people living in households made up only of people aged 65 and over in Japan owned a smartphone in August 2025, up from 28.4% in 2018 (one-person households under 65: 94.1%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 65.3% of people in households made up only of people aged 65 and over in Japan used the internet in the 12 months to August 2025, up from 50.2% in 2018 (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 82.3% of Japanese households headed by someone aged 65 or over had a smartphone in August 2025, up from 74.2% in 2021; for householders aged 75 and over the share was 73.1%, up from 63.2% (all households: 91.8%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 63.9% of Italian households made up only of people aged 65 and over had internet access at home in 2025, up 3.3 points on 2024 (Istat, 2026).
• 82.9% of Chilean households made up only of older adults had internet access in 2024, the lowest of any household type, against 95.6% to 99.4% of households with children (SUBTEL, XI Encuesta de Acceso y Uso de Internet, 2024).
• 16.3% of people aged 60 and over living alone in Japan used none of the listed information devices or functions in December 2021, against 11.0% of those living with a spouse and 14.9% of all people 60+ (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2022).
• 2.7 times: the odds of lacking home internet service for single adults aged 62 and older compared with the reference group, in a 2011 National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project analysis (OATS and Humana Foundation, 2021).

Income and education

• 59.8% of people aged 65 and over in the poorest fifth of households in South Korea owned a smartphone in 2023, against 91.5% in the richest fifth (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024).
• 74.0% of Medicare beneficiaries living in the community with incomes under $25,000 owned a smartphone in 2025, against 90.8% of those with $25,000 or more (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 67.9% of Medicare beneficiaries living in the community without a high school diploma owned a smartphone in 2025, against 95.2% of those with a graduate or professional degree (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 24.9% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 72 and older without a high school diploma went online in the past month in 2023, against 89.3% of those with a graduate degree (NHATS Trends Chart Book, 2026).
• 65.9% of Canadians aged 65 and older in the lowest family-income quartile used the internet at home in 2022, compared with 91.4% of those in the highest quartile (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2022).
• 71.0% of Canadians aged 65 and older with a high school education or less used the internet in 2022, compared with 87.1% of those with college, trade school or some university and 95.8% of those with a bachelor's degree or higher (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2022).
• 54.1% was the predicted probability of internet use for Canadian seniors with household incomes under $20,000 in 2016, against 79.4% for those with incomes of $100,000 and over (General Social Survey linked to tax data; Statistics Canada, 2019).
• 26.0% of urban Argentines aged 65 and older with no schooling used the internet in late 2024, compared with 55.7% of those with incomplete primary education and 92.7% of those with completed higher education (INDEC, EPH-MAUTIC 2024).
• 41.0% of people aged 75 and over living in households with net income under 1,400 euros a month in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 64.9% of people aged 75 and over living in households with net income of 4,400 euros or more a month in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 21.5% of people aged 75 and over with less than primary education in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 78.9% of people aged 75 and over with a university degree (licenciatura, master or equivalent) in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 36.0% of people aged 75-89 with no or low formal education in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 57.8% of people aged 75-89 with medium formal education in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 83.3% of people aged 75-89 with high formal education in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 72.7% of people aged 55-74 with low formal education in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 97.7% of people aged 55-74 with high formal education in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 58.4% of people aged 65-84 whose highest education is compulsory school in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 46.7% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 96.4% of people aged 65-84 with a university degree in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 92.3% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 27% of US adults aged 65 and older in households earning under $30,000 a year owned a smartphone in 2016, against 81% of those in households earning $75,000 or more (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 27% of US adults aged 65 and older with a high school education or less owned a smartphone in 2016, against 65% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 27% of US adults aged 65 and older in households earning under $30,000 a year had home broadband in 2016, against 87% of those earning $75,000 or more (Pew Research Center, 2017).

Women and men

• 54.7% of women aged 65 and over in Japan owned a smartphone in August 2025, against 65.1% of men the same age; at 80 and over the figures were 30.4% and 37.5% (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 32.3% of women aged 80 and over in Japan used the internet in the 12 months to August 2025, against 45.3% of men the same age (65 and over: women 57.0%, men 70.6%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 70.8% of women aged 65 and over in South Korea owned a smartphone in 2023, against 83.9% of men (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024).
• 67.6% of women aged 70 and over in South Korea used the internet in the month before the July 2025 survey, against 73.8% of men; smartphone ownership was 91.0% for women and 94.7% for men (Ministry of Science and ICT and NIA, 2026).
• 86.7% of women aged 65 and over in Hong Kong had a smartphone in 2025, against 93.0% of men; internet use was 83.5% for women and 91.1% for men (Census and Statistics Department, 2026).
• 13 to 15.6 percentage points was the gap by which men aged 70 and over in Taiwan outpaced women of the same age in internet use in 2025; below 70 the rates were about equal (Ministry of Digital Affairs, 2026).
• 50.3% of Canadian women aged 65 and older had a smartphone for personal use in 2020, compared with 58.4% of men aged 65 and older (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2020).
• 81.0% of Canadian women aged 65 and older used the internet in 2022, compared with 84.4% of men aged 65 and older (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2022).
• 75.6% of Brazilian women aged 60 and older used the internet in 2025, compared with 73.0% of men aged 60 and older (IBGE, PNAD Contínua ICT module 2025).
• 81.8% of Brazilian women aged 60 and older had a mobile phone for personal use in 2025, compared with 78.4% of men aged 60 and older (IBGE, PNAD Contínua ICT module 2025).
• 56.9% of men aged 75-89 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 45.4% of women aged 75-89 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 79.6% of men aged 65-74 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 78.6% of women aged 65-74 in the EU-27 had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).
• 43.0% of men aged 75 and over in Italy had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Istat, 2026).
• 30.5% of women aged 75 and over in Italy had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (Istat, 2026).
• 47.9% of men aged 75 and over in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 43.0% of women aged 75 and over in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 79.2% of men aged 65-84 in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 77.0% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 71.5% of women aged 65-84 in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 61.5% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 74% of men aged 85 and over in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2026 (Statistics Sweden, 2026).
• 64% of women aged 85 and over in Sweden had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2026 (Statistics Sweden, 2026).
• 62% of men aged 75-89 in Finland had a touch-screen mobile phone (smartphone) in use in 2025 (Statistics Finland).
• 56% of women aged 75-89 in Finland had a touch-screen mobile phone (smartphone) in use in 2025 (Statistics Finland).
• 59.4% of men aged 75 and over in the UK had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2020 (ONS Internet users, 2021).
• 49.8% of women aged 75 and over in the UK had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2020 (ONS Internet users, 2021).
• 67.3% of women aged 72 and older on Medicare went online in the past month in 2023, against 69.2% of men (NHATS Trends Chart Book, 2026).
• 40.7% of women aged 80 and over in Japan used no information device for any listed purpose in December 2021, as did 33.6% of men that age (Cabinet Office of Japan, 2022).
• 22% of US men aged 65 and older owned a smartphone in 2013, against 15% of women the same age (Pew Research Center, 2014).
• 59% of US men aged 50 and older owned a smartphone in July 2016, against 51% of women aged 50 and older (AARP Research, 2016).

Where they live, health and race

• 70.2% of people aged 65 and over in rural South Korea (eup and myeon areas) owned a smartphone in 2023, against 78.8% in urban districts (dong) (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024).
• 82.0% of Medicare beneficiaries living outside metropolitan areas owned a smartphone in 2025, against 87.1% of those in metropolitan areas (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 64.0% of Medicare beneficiaries aged 72 and older living outside metropolitan areas went online in the past month in 2023, against 68.9% in metropolitan areas (NHATS Trends Chart Book, 2026).
• 41.5% of Colombians aged 55 and older in rural areas used the internet in 2025, compared with 69.1% of those in urban municipal centres (DANE, ECV ICT module 2025).
• 50.9% of people aged 75 and over living in municipalities of 100,000+ inhabitants or provincial capitals in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 33.5% of people aged 75 and over living in municipalities of under 10,000 inhabitants in Spain had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025 (INE, 2025).
• 82.3% of people aged 65-84 living in cities in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 70.7% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 68.6% of people aged 65-84 living in rural areas in Austria had used the internet in the last 3 months in 2025, up from 66.6% in 2023 (Statistik Austria, 2025).
• 12% of rural US adults aged 65 and older owned a smartphone in 2013, against 20% of their urban and suburban peers (Pew Research Center, 2014).
• 89.6% of people aged 65 and older in British Columbia used the internet in 2022, the highest of any province, against 73.4% in New Brunswick (Ontario 85.4%, Alberta 84.3%, Newfoundland and Labrador 79.2%, Prince Edward Island 77.8%, Saskatchewan 77.0%, Quebec 76.9%, Manitoba 76.6%, Nova Scotia 76.5%) (Statistics Canada, Canadian Internet Use Survey 2022).
• 72.6% of Medicare beneficiaries living in the community with two or more disabilities owned a smartphone in 2025, against 91.5% of those with no disability (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 53.0% of people aged 65 and over with a limitation in daily functioning in South Korea owned a smartphone in 2023, against 81.9% of those without one (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2024).
• 76.0% of Black non-Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries living in the community owned a smartphone in 2025, against 80.0% of Hispanic and 88.3% of White non-Hispanic beneficiaries (CMS Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, 2026).
• 43.9% of Black non-Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries aged 72 and older went online in the past month in 2023, against 38.5% of Hispanic and 74.2% of White non-Hispanic beneficiaries (NHATS Trends Chart Book, 2026).

Sources: Ministry of Health and Welfare, Korea / Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs; Cabinet Office, Japan (2022, 2026); National Health and Aging Trends Study, Johns Hopkins / University of Michigan, funded by the National Institute on Aging; Statistics Canada (2019, 2021, 2023); Statistik Austria; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey; Instituto Nacional de Estadística (2025); Observatorio del Envejecimiento, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Confuturo; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan (2019-2026); Istat; Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones, Chile; Older Adults Technology Services and the Humana Foundation; Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos, Argentina; Eurostat; Pew Research Center (2014, 2017); Ministry of Science and ICT / National Information Society Agency, Korea; Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong SAR; Ministry of Digital Affairs, Taiwan; Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (2026); Statistics Sweden; Statistics Finland; Office for National Statistics; AARP Research; Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística, Colombia

• 90% of US adults aged 65 and older said they use the internet in 2025, up from 14% in 2000; 96% of all US adults do (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 76.8% of people aged 65 and older in the US used the internet in November 2023, up from 7.2% in December 1998, against 83.3% of everyone aged 3 and older (NTIA, 2024).
• 88.2% of people aged 65 and older in US households had a broadband internet subscription in 2024, up from 67.0% in 2015, against 94.6% of the whole household population (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2025).

42.9% of people aged 75-89 in the EU-27 had never used the internet in 2025 (Eurostat ICT survey, 2026).

Most of the people who have never been online are now old, and in several countries the oldest make up a large majority of all non-users.

• 21.0% of people aged 80 and over in Japan owned neither a smartphone nor any other mobile phone in August 2025; 54.7% owned at least one mobile phone, 33.0% a smartphone and 26.5% a basic mobile phone (65 and over: 10.4% owned none) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 66% of UK adults without internet access at home were aged 75 and older in 2025 and a further 17% were aged 65-74; 6% of all adults had no home internet (Ofcom, 2026).
• 32% of UK adults aged 75 and over had no internet access at home in autumn 2025, against 6% of all adults (Ofcom Adults' Media Literacy Tracker, 2026).
• 20% (a fifth) of UK adults aged 75 or over had no internet access at home in 2025, half the 2019 level (Ofcom Technology Tracker analysis, 2025).
• 3.9 million people aged over 65 in the UK (31% of the age group) did not use the internet at home, compared with 320,000 (4%) of those aged 35-44 (House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee, 2023, using Ofcom data).
• More than half of the 2.4 million UK adults with zero basic digital skills are aged over 75 (House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee, 2023, citing the Lloyds Bank Consumer Digital Index 2022).
• 53.6% of people in China who did not use the internet were aged 60 and over in December 2025 (CNNIC, 2026).
• 79.8% of all people in South Korea who did not use the internet in July 2025 were aged 70 and over; people aged 60 and over made up 93.2% of non-users (Ministry of Science and ICT and NIA, 2026).
• 52.1% of the 20.5 million Brazilians aged 10 and older who had not used the internet in the previous three months in 2024 were aged 60 or older (IBGE, PNAD Contínua ICT module 2024).
• 36.9% of the 20.9 million Brazilians aged 10 and older without a mobile phone for personal use in 2024 were aged 60 or older (IBGE, PNAD Contínua ICT module 2024).
• 23% of Swedes aged 76 and over did not use the internet in 2026, down from 32% in 2021 (Swedish Internet Foundation, 2026).
• 32% of Swedes aged 76 and over did not use the internet in 2021 (Swedish Internet Foundation, 2026).
• 6.3% of people aged 65 and older in US households lived in a household with no computer, smartphone or tablet in 2024, against 2.2% of the whole household population (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2025).
• 2.7% of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older, more than 1.3 million people, used none of a computer, cell phone or tablet in 2022 (Innovation in Aging, 2024).
• 21.8 million US adults aged 65 and older (42%) had no wireline broadband at home in 2018; 58% had it, against 73% of adults aged 18 to 64 (OATS and Humana Foundation, 2021).
• 66.5% of Australians aged 75 and over were digitally excluded or highly excluded in 2025, against 20.6% of all Australians (Australian Digital Inclusion Index, 2025).
• 54% of people aged 65 and older in seven Latin American countries had no internet connection at home around 2018, compared with 42% of people under 25 (ECLAC, Envejecimiento en América Latina y el Caribe, 2022).
• 25% more, on average, could be paid by consumers who are not online for things like home insurance, train travel and food, according to a 2023 Centre for Social Justice estimate cited by the UK government (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Digital Inclusion Action Plan, 2025).
• 65.5% of adults aged 75 and over in the UK had never used the internet in 2013 (ONS Internet users, 2021).

Sources: Pew Research Center; National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; US Census Bureau; Eurostat; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan; Ofcom (2025, 2026); UK Parliament, House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee; China Internet Network Information Center (2022-2026); Ministry of Science and ICT / National Information Society Agency, Korea; Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística; Internetstiftelsen; Innovation in Aging, conference abstract; Older Adults Technology Services and the Humana Foundation; Australian Digital Inclusion Index; Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean; Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; Office for National Statistics

86.7% of US internet users aged 65 and older used text messaging or instant messaging in November 2023, versus 95.1% of all adult internet users, up from 57.1% in July 2015 (NTIA, 2024).

Messaging and calls come first, then news, banking and health. Older users are less likely than younger ones to do each of these online, but the gap is narrowing fastest for messaging and video calls.

• 32.6% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 made calls or video calls over the internet in the last 3 months in 2020, versus 62.6% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 24.2% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 made calls or video calls over the internet in the last 3 months in 2019, versus 51.9% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 3.1% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 made calls or video calls over the internet in the last 3 months in 2008, versus 16.6% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 97.0% of people aged 65-74 in Denmark used internet banking in the last 3 months in 2025, the highest share in the EU, versus 97.6% of all people aged 16-74 in Denmark (Eurostat, 2026).
• 6.7% of people aged 65-74 in Bulgaria used internet banking in the last 3 months in 2025, the lowest share in the EU, versus 31.1% of all people aged 16-74 in Bulgaria (Eurostat, 2026).
• 46.3% of US internet users aged 65 and older took part in online video or voice calls or conferencing in November 2023, versus 66.1% of all adult internet users, up from 28.6% in November 2019 (NTIA, 2024).
• 63.2% of US internet users aged 65 and older used online financial services such as banking, investing or paying bills in November 2023, versus 76.1% of all adult internet users (NTIA, 2024).
• 57.1% of US internet users aged 65 and older used text messaging or instant messaging in July 2015, versus 86.1% of all adult internet users (NTIA, 2016).
• 64% of US adults aged 65 and older said they ever use YouTube in 2025, versus 84% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 49% of US adults aged 65 and older said they ever use YouTube in 2021, up from 38% in 2019 (Pew Research Center, 2022).
• 57% of US adults aged 65 and older said they ever use Facebook in 2025, versus 71% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 45% of US adults aged 65 and older visited Facebook at least once a day in early 2025, versus 52% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 27% of US adults aged 65 and older visited YouTube at least once a day in early 2025, versus 48% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 20% of US adults aged 65 and older said they ever use WhatsApp in 2025, versus 32% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 19% of US adults aged 65 and older said they ever use Instagram in 2025, versus 50% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 12% of US adults aged 65 and older said they ever use TikTok in 2025, versus 37% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 45% of US adults aged 65 and older used social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram in 2021, versus 84% of adults aged 18-29; about four times the 2010 share (Pew Research Center, 2022).
• 23% of US adults aged 65 and older said they ever use AI chatbots such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot in 2026, up from 12% in 2024, versus 49% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2026).
• 14% of US adults aged 80 and older had used generative AI by 2025, versus 21% of those aged 70-79, 43% of those aged 50-59 and 30% of all adults aged 50+ (AARP, 2025).
• 94% of US adults aged 50 and older texted to stay in touch with family and friends at least once a month in 2025, up from 79% in 2016; texting overtook email (77%) as their lead way to communicate (AARP, 2025).
• 46% of US adults aged 50 and older video chatted with family and friends at least once a month in 2025, up from 33% in 2016 (AARP, 2025).
• 63% of US adults aged 50 and older used finance or banking services online in the past 3 months in 2025, and 75% used maps and navigation (AARP, 2025).
• 46% of US adults aged 50 and older used medical digital services (for example GoodRx, LifeAlert or health records) in the past 3 months in 2025, up from 35% in 2024 (AARP, 2025).
• 50.9% of Canadians aged 65 and older sent messages with an instant messaging app in 2022, versus 78.0% of all Canadians aged 15+, up from 33.6% of seniors in 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2023).
• 37.8% of Canadians aged 65 and older made online voice or video calls in 2022, versus 64.7% of all Canadians aged 15+, up from 21.2% of seniors in 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2023).
• 58.0% of Canadians aged 65 and older banked online in 2022, versus 77.6% of all Canadians aged 15+, up from 43.9% of seniors in 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2023).
• 55.4% of Canadians aged 65 and older used government online services in 2022, versus 76.3% of all Canadians aged 15+, up from 41.0% of seniors in 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2023).
• 40.7% of Canadians aged 65 and older booked appointments online in 2022, versus 58.5% of all Canadians aged 15+, up from 16.6% of seniors in 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2023).
• 77.8% of people in their 70s in Japan used LINE in FY2025, versus 92.0% of those in their 60s and 92.9% of all people aged 13-79 (MIC, 2026).
• 48.5% of people in their 70s in Japan used YouTube in FY2025, versus 72.6% of those in their 60s and 81.5% of all people aged 13-79 (MIC, 2026).
• 54.3% of internet users aged 80 and older in Japan used social networking services (including free-call apps such as LINE) in 2025, versus 67.9% of users aged 70-79, 78.3% of those aged 60-69 and 82.3% of all users (MIC, 2026).
• 65.6% of internet users aged 80 and older in Japan sent or received e-mail in 2025, versus 76.4% of users aged 70-79, 84.7% of those aged 60-69 and 78.2% of all users (MIC, 2026).
• 29.8% of internet users aged 80 and older in Japan used e-government or local government online services in 2025, their fourth most common online activity (MIC, 2026).
• 46.1% of people aged 65 and over in Japan used a smartphone to go online in the 12 months to August 2025 (60-64: 82.9%; 65-69: 75.1%; 70-74: 59.8%; 75-79: 46.0%; 80+: 21.1%; all ages 6+: 72.8%) (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, 2026).
• 68% of UK internet users aged 75 and older used at least one social media platform in 2025, versus 89% of all internet users and 97% of those aged 16-34 (Ofcom, 2026).
• 81% of UK social media users aged 75 and older used Facebook in 2025, versus 55% of those aged 16-24, the only platform more popular with the oldest users (Ofcom, 2026).
• 78% of UK social media users aged 75 and older used WhatsApp in 2025, close to the 81% of those aged 16-24 (Ofcom, 2026).
• 56% of Australians aged 75 and older used a messaging or calling app in the six months to June 2024, more than triple the 17% of 2019, versus 84% of all adults (ACMA, 2024).
• 25% of Australians aged 75 and older took part in video calling in the six months to June 2024, fewer than any younger age group; 64% shopped online and 50% used a government services app (ACMA, 2024).

Sources: National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; Eurostat (2026); Pew Research Center (2022, 2025, 2026); AARP Research; Statistics Canada; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan (2026); Ofcom; Australian Communications and Media Authority (2024)

200 minutes (3 hours 20 minutes) a day: average time UK internet users aged 65 and older spent online in May 2025, up 10 minutes on 2024, versus 4 hours 30 minutes for all adult users (Ofcom, 2025).

Older users spend less time on their phones than younger adults and are far less likely to feel they overdo it, but daily use is now the norm.

• 9% of US adults aged 65 and older said they use their smartphone almost constantly in 2026, versus 26% of all US adults and 42% of those aged 18-29 (Pew Research Center, 2026).
• 14% of US adults aged 65 and older said they are online almost constantly in 2025, versus 41% of all US adults and 63% of those aged 18-29 (Pew Research Center, 2026).
• 8% of US adults aged 65 and older said they go online almost constantly in 2021, versus 31% of all US adults; Pew found no growth for this age group since it first asked in 2015 (Pew Research Center, 2021).
• 25% of US adults aged 65 and older said they spend too much time on their smartphone in 2026, and 54% said about the right amount, versus 53% and 36% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2026).
• 166 minutes (2 hours 46 minutes) a day: average time UK internet users aged 65 and older spent online in May 2023, versus 3 hours 41 minutes for all adult users (Ofcom, 2023).
• 93.8 minutes a day: average weekday internet use of people in their 70s in Japan in FY2025, versus 183.9 minutes for all people aged 13-79; they spent 313.5 minutes watching live TV (MIC, 2026).
• 72.4 minutes a day: average weekday internet use of people in their 70s in Japan in FY2024, versus 181.8 minutes for all people aged 13-79 (MIC, 2026).
• 68.5% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 used the internet daily in 2025, versus 89.5% of all people aged 16-74, up from 7.3% in 2007 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 95.7% of people aged 65-74 in Ireland used the internet daily in 2025, the highest share in the EU, versus 99.3% of all people aged 16-74 in Ireland (Eurostat, 2026).
• 46.6% of people aged 65-74 in Greece used the internet daily in 2025, the lowest share in the EU, versus 87.2% of all people aged 16-74 in Greece (Eurostat, 2026).
• 34.7% of people aged 75 and over in Spain used the internet daily in 2024, versus 70.6% of those aged 65-74 and 91.5% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 28.7% of people aged 75 and over in Italy used the internet daily in 2024, versus 64.4% of those aged 65-74 and 87.4% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 84.0% of Chileans aged 60 and older used a smartphone every day in 2024, compared with 94.8% of all people aged 16 and older and 98.8% of those aged 16 to 44 (SUBTEL, XI Encuesta de Acceso y Uso de Internet, 2024).
• 78.1% of Chileans aged 60 and older said they habitually used a smartphone in 2023, compared with 93% of all people aged 16 and older and 95.6% to 98.4% of younger age groups (SUBTEL, X Encuesta de Acceso y Uso de Internet, 2023).
• 98% of US smartphone owners aged 50 and older used their smartphone daily in 2025, up from 95% in 2016, while daily desktop use among desktop owners fell from 89% to 58% (AARP, 2025).
• 68% of Australians aged 75 and older who go online with a mobile phone did so multiple times a day in the six months to June 2024, the lowest of any age group, versus 92% of all adults (ACMA, 2024).
• 12.3% of Canadians aged 65 and older checked their smartphone at least every 30 minutes in a typical day in 2020, versus 43.4% of all Canadians aged 15+, up from 9.0% in 2018 (Statistics Canada, 2021).
• 9.0% of Canadians aged 65 and older checked their smartphone at least every 30 minutes in a typical day in 2018, versus 36.5% of all Canadians aged 15+ (Statistics Canada, 2021).
• 22.4% of Canadians aged 65 and older said checking their smartphone is the first thing they do after waking up in 2020, versus 53.2% of all Canadians aged 15+ (Statistics Canada, 2021).
• 18.4% of Canadians aged 65 and older said checking their smartphone is the last thing they do before going to sleep in 2020, versus 51.2% of all Canadians aged 15+ (Statistics Canada, 2021).
• 21% of US smartphone owners aged 65 and older checked their phone a few times an hour or more in 2015, and 3% every few minutes, versus 52% of all smartphone owners (Gallup, 2015).
• 76% of US internet users aged 65 and older went online at least daily in 2016: 8% almost constantly, 51% several times a day and 17% about once a day (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 10% of UK adults aged 75 and older felt their screen time was too high on most days in 2025, versus 40% of all adults and 61% of those aged 16-24 (Ofcom, 2026).
• 11.5% of South Korean smartphone users in their 60s were at risk of smartphone overdependence in 2025, half the 22.3% of adults aged 20-59 and down 0.4 points on 2024 (MSIT, 2026).
• 24% of Africans aged 56 and older used the internet every day or a few times a week in 2021/2023 (16% daily), compared with 52% of those aged 18 to 35, on average across 39 countries (Afrobarometer Round 9; Policy Paper 95, 2025).

Sources: Ofcom (2023, 2025, 2026); Pew Research Center (2017, 2021, 2026); Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan; Eurostat (2026); Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones, Chile (2023, 2024); AARP Research; Australian Communications and Media Authority; Statistics Canada; Gallup; Ministry of Science and ICT, Korea; Afrobarometer

49.4% of people aged 70 and older in Japan who rarely or never use a smartphone or tablet said they do not know how to use one (80+: 52.5%), the top reason among 166 older non-users (Cabinet Office, 2025).

Not knowing how, and not seeing the need, outweigh cost. Skills are the steepest barrier: fewer than half of Europeans in their late sixties and early seventies have basic digital skills.

• 45.8% of people aged 70 and older in Japan who rarely or never use a smartphone or tablet said they do not need one in their life (80+: 45.0%) (Cabinet Office, 2025).
• 37.3% of people aged 70 and older in Japan who rarely or never use a smartphone or tablet said family members can do it for them if needed (80+: 40.0%) (Cabinet Office, 2025).
• 15.7% of people aged 70 and older in Japan who rarely or never use a smartphone or tablet feared data leaks, fraud or other trouble (80+: 12.5%) (Cabinet Office, 2025).
• 81% of UK adults aged 65 and older without home internet who were unlikely to get it said this was because they lacked interest or need; 24% said someone else can go online for them and 12% that the internet is too complicated (Ofcom, 2025).
• 68% of UK adults without home internet said they are not interested or feel no need to be online, 38% cited complexity and 25% cost; two-thirds of this group are aged 75 and older (Ofcom, 2026).
• 42% of UK adults without home internet had asked someone else to do something online for them, most often shopping (56%) or online health services (37%), yet 82% said nothing would prompt them to go online (Ofcom, 2026).
• 67.5% of US households headed by someone aged 65 or older with no one using the internet at home gave 'don't need it or not interested' as the main reason in November 2023, versus 55.7% of all such households; 10.5% said it was too expensive (NTIA, 2024).
• 69% of UK adults aged 75 and older without home internet reported a physical disability, versus 42% of those aged 75+ who are online; eyesight (16% vs 4%), mobility (43% vs 21%) and dexterity (13% vs 6%) problems were all more common (Ofcom, 2026).
• 23% of US adults aged 65 and older had a physical or health condition that makes reading difficult, and 29% a disability or chronic disease that prevents full participation in daily activities; 39% had at least one (Pew Research Center, 2014).
• A prevalence ratio of 0.69 for using email or texting (95% CI 0.58-0.82) was found among US Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and over with vision impairment compared with those without, after adjustment; hearing impairment made no difference (Gell et al., The Gerontologist, 2015; National Health and Aging Trends Study 2011).

Skills and confidence

• 33% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 had at least basic overall digital skills in 2025, versus 60.4% of all people aged 16-74, up from 25.5% in 2021 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 28.2% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 had at least basic overall digital skills in 2023, versus 55.6% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 25.5% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 had at least basic overall digital skills in 2021, versus 53.9% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 11.1% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 had above basic overall digital skills in 2025, versus 31.4% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 21.0% of people aged 65-74 in the EU-27 could not be assessed for digital skills in 2025 because they had not used the internet in the previous 3 months, versus 6.2% of all people aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 29.4%: digital capability of South Koreans aged 70 and older relative to the general public in 2025 (general public = 100), versus 63.1% for people in their 60s and 56.2% for all aged 55+ (NIA, 2026).
• 71.8%: overall digital level (access, skills and use) of South Koreans aged 55 and older relative to the general public in 2025, up from 69.1% in 2021, the lowest of the four disadvantaged groups measured (NIA, 2026).
• 26.5% of South Koreans aged 70 and older said they can install and use the apps they need on a mobile device by themselves in 2025, and 39.0% that they can change basic settings, versus 52.2% and 62.2% of all aged 55+ (NIA, 2026).
• 48% of US adults aged 80 and older agreed they have the digital skills needed to take full advantage of being online in 2025, versus 61% of those aged 70-79 and 70% of those aged 50-59 (AARP, 2025).
• 66% of US adults aged 80 and older felt technology is not designed with their age in mind in 2025, versus 60% of all adults aged 50+ and 54% of those aged 50-59 (AARP, 2025).
• 34% of UK online adults aged 75 and older did not feel confident managing who has access to their personal information in 2025, versus 18% of all online adults (Ofcom, 2026).
• 47% of US adults aged 65-80 who had not set up a patient portal said they are not comfortable with technology, versus 30% of those aged 50-64; 62% said they do not like communicating about their health by computer (University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2018).
• 48% of US adults aged 65 and older said 'When I get a new electronic device, I usually need someone else to set it up or show me how to use it' describes them very well, and 25% somewhat well (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 26% of US internet users aged 65 and older felt very confident using computers, smartphones or other devices to do what they need online in 2015; 34% felt only a little (23%) or not at all (11%) confident (Pew Research Center, 2017).
• 77% of US adults aged 65 and older said they would need someone to help them learn to use a new device such as a tablet or smartphone, and only 18% felt comfortable learning on their own (Pew Research Center, 2014).

Sources: Cabinet Office, Government of Japan; Ofcom (2025, 2026); National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; Pew Research Center (2014, 2017); The Gerontologist; Eurostat (2026); National Information Society Agency, Korea; AARP Research; University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation

63.4% of US adults aged 65 and older were wireless-only in July-December 2025 (they had their own cell phone and no landline at home), versus 79.2% of all adults, up from 33.2% in July-December 2019 (NCHS, National Health Interview Survey, 2026).

The phone has become the main way older people go online, and the landline is fading.

• 3.5% of US adults aged 65 and older were landline-only (no personal cell phone) in July-December 2025, versus 1.6% of all adults (NCHS, National Health Interview Survey, 2026).
• 35.2% of US adults aged 65 and older still had a landline at home in July-December 2025 (wireless-mostly 16.7%, dual users 8.5%, landline-mostly 6.5%, landline-only 3.5%), versus 19.5% of all adults (NCHS, 2026).
• 45% of Australians aged 75 and older made a landline call at home in the six months to June 2024, down from 58% a year earlier, versus 15% of all adults (ACMA, 2024).
• 88.9% of internet users aged 65-74 in the EU-27 went online with a mobile phone or smartphone in the last 3 months in 2025, versus 95.8% of all internet users aged 16-74, up from 47.8% in 2016 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 7.3% of internet users aged 65-74 in the EU-27 went online only on a desktop or laptop computer (no phone or tablet) in the last 3 months in 2025, versus 2.6% of all internet users aged 16-74, down from 40.1% in 2016 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 42.2% of internet users aged 65-74 in the EU-27 went online with a laptop in the last 3 months in 2025, versus 59.5% of all internet users aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 29.2% of internet users aged 65-74 in the EU-27 went online with a tablet in the last 3 months in 2025, versus 33.5% of all internet users aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 28.2% of internet users aged 65-74 in the EU-27 went online with a desktop computer in the last 3 months in 2025, versus 32.7% of all internet users aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 21.4% of internet users aged 65-74 in the EU-27 went online with another device (smart TV, smart speaker, game console, e-book reader or smartwatch) in the last 3 months in 2025, versus 41.2% of all internet users aged 16-74 (Eurostat, 2026).
• 66% (two in three) of internet users aged 75-89 in Denmark went online with a mobile phone in 2024, and 43% used a tablet (Statistics Denmark, 2024).
• 31.5% of people aged 70-79 in Japan went online with a personal computer in 2025, versus 55.1% with a smartphone and 10.0% with a tablet; among those aged 80+, 12.7% used a PC and 21.7% a smartphone (MIC, 2026).
• 12.5% of South Koreans aged 70 and older went online with a PC in 2025, versus 70.1% with a smartphone and 2.2% with a tablet; across all aged 55+, 28.0% used a PC and 85.9% a smartphone (NIA, 2026).
• 17% of US adults aged 65 and older were smartphone-only internet users in 2025 (own a smartphone, no home broadband), versus 16% of all US adults, up from 3% in 2013 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 70% of US adults aged 65 and older said they subscribe to home broadband in 2025, up from 1% in March 2001, against 79% of adults aged 50 to 64 (Pew Research Center, 2025).
• 80.7% of US households headed by someone aged 65 or older had a broadband internet subscription in 2021, against 90.1% of all households (US Census Bureau, 2024).
• 87.5% of US households headed by someone aged 65 or older had at least one computing device (desktop, laptop, tablet or smartphone) in 2021, against 95.0% of all households (US Census Bureau, 2024).
• 92.6% of people aged 65 and older in Nevada households had a broadband subscription in 2024, the highest share of any state, followed by Alaska (92.1%) and New Hampshire (91.6%) (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2025).
• 80.3% of people aged 65 and older in Mississippi households had a broadband subscription in 2024, the lowest share of any state, followed by West Virginia (81.3%) and North Dakota (82.5%) (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2025).
• 75.6% of people aged 65 and over in Taiwan lived in a household with internet access in 2025, up from 63.3% in 2023, while only 63.3% used the internet themselves (Ministry of Digital Affairs, 2026).
• 51.8% of people aged 70 and over in Taiwan had a mobile phone number able to go online over 4G or 5G in 2025, against 80.1% of those aged 60-69 and 100% of those aged 18-29 (Taiwan Network Information Center, 2025).
• 75.9% of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older owned a cell phone in 2011 (Gell et al., 2015).
• 63.2% of community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and older had access to a computer in 2011 (Gell et al., 2015).

Basic phones

• 26.5% of people aged 80 and older in Japan had a basic mobile phone (feature phone, not a smartphone) in 2025, almost as many as the 33.0% with a smartphone; 21.0% had neither, versus 16.9% feature-phone holders among all people aged 6+ (MIC, 2026).
• 24.8% of people aged 70-79 in Japan had a basic mobile phone (feature phone) in 2025, versus 68.1% with a smartphone, and 15.9% of those aged 60-69 (MIC, 2026).
• 20.9% of people in their 70s in Japan used a feature phone in FY2025, twice the 10.2% of all people aged 13-79, while 83.8% used a smartphone and 7.1% a smartwatch (MIC, 2026).
• 27% of UK adults aged 75 and over used a mobile phone that was not a smartphone in autumn 2025 (Ofcom Adults' Media Literacy Tracker, 2026).
• 17% of UK adults aged 75 and over did not use a mobile phone at all in autumn 2025 (Ofcom Adults' Media Literacy Tracker, 2026).
• 84% of UK adults aged 65-74 used a smartphone in autumn 2025 (Ofcom Adults' Media Literacy Tracker, 2026).
• 17% of UK adults aged 75 and over used a mobile phone but not a smartphone in 2026 (derived from Ofcom Technology Tracker, 2026).
• 89% of UK adults aged 75 and over personally used a mobile phone of any kind in 2026 (Ofcom Technology Tracker, 2026).
• 87% of UK adults aged 75 and over personally used a mobile phone of any kind in 2025 (Ofcom Technology Tracker, 2025).
• 16% of US adults aged 50 and older owned a regular (non-smart) cell phone in 2025, down from 57% in 2016 (AARP Research, 2025).
• 34% of US adults aged 70 and older owned a regular (feature) phone in November 2017, against 14% of those aged 50 to 59 (AARP Research, 2017).
• 80 of 120 frail older people living alone in deprived areas of three Italian regions used a basic mobile phone as their main communication device in 2019 interviews, 21 a smartphone and 19 only a landline; several could not reach their phone after a fall (Socci et al., 2022).

Tablets, smartwatches and speakers

• 44% of US adults aged 65 and older owned a tablet computer in 2021, versus 61% of adults aged 30-49 and 53% of those aged 50-64 (Pew Research Center, 2022).
• 24% of US adults aged 65 and older had a smartwatch such as an Apple Watch or Google Pixel Watch in 2026, versus 37% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2026).
• 24% of US adults aged 65 and older had a smart speaker with AI features in 2026, versus 35% of all US adults (Pew Research Center, 2026).
• 36% of US adults aged 50+ own a wearable device (2025), up from 11% in 2016; wearables are the one device category still owned more by adults 18-49.
• 23% of Australians aged 75 and older had an internet-connected wearable device in 2024, up from 13% in 2023, versus 37% of all adults (ACMA, 2024).
• 14.3% of US adults aged 65 and older used an internet-connected wearable device such as a smartwatch or fitness band in November 2023, versus 22.7% of all adults aged 15+ (NTIA, 2024).
• 36% of US Baby Boomers (ages 65-74) own a smartwatch or connected health device (2024), versus 66% of Millennials.
• 57% of UK smartphone users aged 65 and older had an Android phone as their main phone in 2025 and 41% an iPhone; across all users aged 16 and older, 54% used an iPhone (Ofcom, 2025).

Sources: National Center for Health Statistics (2008-2026); Australian Communications and Media Authority (2024); Eurostat (2026); Statistics Denmark; Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, Japan (2026); National Information Society Agency, Korea; Pew Research Center (2022, 2025, 2026); US Census Bureau (2016-2025); Ministry of Digital Affairs, Taiwan; Taiwan Network Information Center; Gell NM, Rosenberg DE, Demiris G, LaCroix AZ, Patel KV; Ofcom (2025, 2026); AARP Research (2017, 2025); International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; National Telecommunications and Information Administration, US Department of Commerce; Rock Health

An odds ratio of 0.42 for cognitive impairment (95% CI 0.35-0.52) was associated with digital technology use among adults over 50, in a meta-analysis of 57 observational studies covering 411,430 people with a mean baseline age of 68.7 (Benge and Scullin, Nature Human Behaviour, 2025).

Large studies find that older adults who use digital technology are less likely to develop cognitive impairment, dementia or depression, but these are associations: healthier and better-educated people are also more likely to go online. Trials that gave older people video calls or other digital tools found little or no effect on loneliness.

• A hazard ratio of 0.74 for cognitive decline over time (95% CI 0.66-0.84) was associated with digital technology use among adults over 50, in the same 57-study meta-analysis (Benge and Scullin, Nature Human Behaviour, 2025).
• A hazard ratio of 0.57 for dementia (95% CI 0.46-0.71), about half the risk, was associated with regular internet use among 18,154 dementia-free US adults aged 50 to 64.9 followed for a median 7.9 years in the Health and Retirement Study (Cho et al., Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2023).
• A 40% lower risk of dementia over about ten years (hazard ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.42-0.85) was associated with internet use among 8,238 dementia-free adults aged 50 and over in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (d'Orsi et al., Aging & Mental Health, 2018).
• A hazard ratio of 0.62 for a dementia diagnosis (95% CI 0.47-0.81) was associated with computer use among 5,506 community-dwelling men aged 69 to 87 in Western Australia followed for up to 8.5 years (Almeida et al., PLOS ONE, 2012).
• A hazard ratio of 0.85 for dementia (95% CI 0.81-0.90) was associated with leisure time spent using a computer among 146,651 UK Biobank participants aged 60 and over followed for a mean 11.9 years, while TV time carried a higher risk (Raichlen et al., PNAS, 2022).
• A subdistribution hazard ratio of 0.67 for death (95% CI 0.52-0.86) was found for internet users compared with the digitally excluded among 104,422 adults aged 50 and over in cohorts from China, Mexico, the United States and Europe (Ren et al., Globalization and Health, 2023).
• An odds ratio of 0.676 for depression (95% CI 0.613-0.745) was associated with digital smart device use among older adults, in a three-level meta-analysis of observational studies published 2014-2025 (Gu et al., BMC Public Health, 2026).
• A pooled average marginal effect of -0.09 on depressive symptoms (95% CI -0.12 to -0.07) was associated with internet use among 87,559 adults aged 50 and over in 23 countries, alongside higher life satisfaction and better self-rated health (Luo, Yip and Zhang, Nature Human Behaviour, 2025).
• A one-third (about 33%) lower probability of a depressed state was associated with internet use among 3,075 retired US adults followed over four Health and Retirement Study waves (2002-2008), with the largest reduction among people living alone (Cotten et al., Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2014).
• Odds ratios of 1.13 to 1.55 for depressive symptoms were found among adults aged 60 and over who did not use the internet, across five national cohorts in 32 countries (US 1.13, England 1.22, continental Europe 1.55, China 1.49, Mexico 1.48; 129,847 people, 2010-2020) (Yan et al., eClinicalMedicine, 2024).
• 60% higher odds of depression (pooled odds ratio 1.60, 95% CI 1.39-1.84) were found among socially isolated or digitally excluded older adults, pooling analyses of about 111,784 participants (Byeon, Medicine, 2026).
• An odds ratio of 1.03 (95% CI 0.92-1.15), not statistically significant, linked social isolation or digital exclusion with cognitive decline in three pooled longitudinal cohorts of community-dwelling older adults (Byeon, Medicine, 2026).
• 6.9% of older adults who used video chat had depressive symptoms two years later, about half the 13.1% among those who used no communication technology, in a nationally representative US cohort of 1,424 adults (mean age 64.8); email, social media and instant messaging showed no such link (Teo et al., American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 2019).
• 11.5% of adults aged 50 and over who saw their children, other family and friends in person only every few months or less had clinically significant depressive symptoms two years later, versus 8.1% with monthly in-person contact; how often they talked by phone or wrote did not predict depression (Teo et al., Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2015).
• Loneliness scores 0.060 points lower on a 0-2 scale over eight years were associated with internet use among older adults in the US Health and Retirement Study (2006-2014), with 0.025 points of that running through more contact with family and friends (Yu, Wu and Chi, Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2021).
• A mean difference of -0.44 points on the 20-80 UCLA Loneliness Scale at three months (95% CI -3.28 to 2.41): video-call interventions made little to no difference to loneliness compared with usual care in three trials with 201 older nursing-home residents, and the evidence is very uncertain (Noone et al., Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020).
• A standardised mean difference of 0.02 (95% CI -0.36 to 0.40) at three months showed no significant effect of digital technology interventions on loneliness compared with usual care, pooling trials with older adults whose average age was 73 to 78 (Shah et al., Journal of Medical Internet Research, 2021).

Telehealth

• 43.3% of US adults aged 65 and over had a medical appointment by video or phone in the past 12 months in 2021, the highest of any age group (all adults 37.0%; ages 18-29 29.4%) (NCHS, National Health Interview Survey, 2022).
• 30.6% of US adults aged 65 and older used telemedicine (a medical appointment by video or phone) in the past 12 months in 2022, down from 43.3% in 2021 (all adults 30.1%) (NCHS, National Health Statistics Reports No. 205, 2024).
• 22.9% of telehealth-eligible Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 85 and over used telehealth at least once in 2025, down from 48.0% in 2020 (65-74: 21.5%; 75-84: 22.5%; all beneficiaries 23.3%) (CMS, Medicare Telehealth Trends, 2026).
• 4% of US adults aged 50 to 80 reported having had a telehealth visit in the past year in 2019, before the pandemic (University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging; Innovation in Aging, 2024).
• 26% of US adults aged 50 to 80 had a telehealth visit between March and June 2020, up from 4% who reported one in the past year in 2019 (University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, June 2020, n=2,074; Innovation in Aging, 2021).
• 38% of US adults aged 65 and older, about 13 million people, were not ready for video doctor visits in 2018, mostly because of inexperience with technology; 32% (10.8 million) would still be unready even with help from family or friends (Lam et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2020).
• 72% of US adults aged 85 and older were not ready for video doctor visits in 2018, versus 44% of those aged 75-84 and 25% of those aged 65-74 (Lam et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2020).
• 20% of US adults aged 65 and older (about 6.7 million) were unready even for telephone doctor visits in 2018 because of difficulty hearing, difficulty communicating or dementia (Lam et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2020).
• 49% of US adults aged 65-80 had set up a patient portal with their health provider in March 2018, versus 52% of those aged 50-64 (University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, 2018).

Staying in touch

• 86.6% of US adults aged 70 and older talked by phone at least weekly with family or friends who did not live with them during the COVID-19 pandemic, little changed from 89.2% before it (National Health and Aging Trends Study; Freedman et al., Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2022).
• 26.0% of US adults aged 70 and older had a video call with family or friends outside their home at least weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic, up from 21.4% before it (National Health and Aging Trends Study; Freedman et al., Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2022).
• 39.0% of US adults aged 70 and older saw family or friends who did not live with them in person at least weekly during the COVID-19 pandemic, down from 60.5% before it; in residential care the share fell from 56% to 22% (Freedman et al., Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2022).

Sources: Nature Human Behaviour (2024, 2025); Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (2015, 2023); Aging & Mental Health; PLOS ONE; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences; Globalization and Health; BMC Public Health; Journals of Gerontology Series B (2014, 2021); eClinicalMedicine; Medicine; American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry; Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews; Journal of Medical Internet Research; National Center for Health Statistics (2022, 2024); Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (2018, 2024); University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging; JAMA Internal Medicine

95.1% of US adults aged 65 and older personally had a cell phone in July-December 2025 (wireless-only 63.4%, wireless-mostly 16.7%, dual users 8.5%, landline-mostly 6.5%), versus 97.1% of all adults; 3.5% were landline-only and 1.2% had no phone at all (NCHS, 2026).

Almost every older adult now has a phone of their own, far more than have a personal alarm. Whether the phone is within reach when something goes wrong is another matter, and the evidence on that is thin.

• 81% of US cellphone owners aged 65 and older said they frequently carry their phone with them in 2014, the lowest of any age group, versus 90% of all cellphone owners and 95% of those aged 30-49 (Pew Research Center, 2015).
• 40 of 88 frail older people living alone in Italy who had a health emergency (mostly falls) in the previous three years said they used a mobile phone to call for help, while only 3 reported using a remote alarm (IN-AGE study, 2019 interviews; Melchiorre et al., International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2022).
• None of 125 people aged 65 and over who fell at home used the telephone to call for help after falling, although about half lived in homes with a telephone; one was helped only because she received an incoming call (Wild, Nayak and Isaacs, BMJ, 1981; Birmingham, UK).
• Only 6% of community-dwelling adults aged 65+ with mobility or daily-living difficulties in England reported using a personal call alarm.
• 9% of US adults aged 65+ currently use a medical alert system / PERS, unchanged from the same survey in 2023 (industry online-panel survey).
• 6% of US adults aged 50 and older owned a home health and safety device in 2025, and 12% a GPS tracker, versus 90% who owned a smartphone (AARP, 2025).
• 26% of US caregivers aged 50 and over used location detectors (GPS devices to help keep track of a loved one) in 2025, and another 26% were interested (AARP, 2026 Tech Trends and Adults 50-Plus).
• 12% of US caregivers aged 50 and over used emergency response systems (physically or voice-activated systems to alert emergency care) in 2025, while 36% were interested (AARP, 2026 Tech Trends and Adults 50-Plus).
• 86.9% of the 125,685 people in Scotland receiving council-funded technology-enabled care (a community alarm and/or telecare) in 2024/25 were aged 65 or older, including 37.9% aged 85 and over (Public Health Scotland, 2026).
• 37% of people aged 85 and over in Scotland received a council-funded technology-enabled care package (community alarm and/or telecare) in 2022/23 (Public Health Scotland, 2024).
• About 2 million people in the UK use telecare services, which depend on phone lines that are being moved from analogue to digital by January 2027 (Department of Health and Social Care and DSIT, Telecare National Action Plan, 2025).

Sources: National Center for Health Statistics; Pew Research Center; International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health; British Medical Journal; Ageing & Society; TheSeniorList.com; AARP Research; Public Health Scotland (2024, 2026); Department of Health and Social Care

$7.748 billion in losses to internet-enabled crime and fraud was reported to the FBI by people aged 60 and over in 2025, up 59% from 2024, from 201,266 complaints (up 37%) (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report).

Losses reported by older people have risen fast, and a phone call remains the costliest way for a scam to begin. Most attempts fail, though: most fraud reports from older adults involve no loss, and in England and Wales the oldest adults are less likely than average to be victims.

• 41% of adults aged 60 and over who lost $10,000 or more to a business or government impersonation scam in 2024 said it began with a phone call; 15% said an online ad or pop-up and 13% an email (FTC Data Spotlight, 2025).
• $2,210 was the median loss reported by adults aged 60 and over for frauds that began with a phone call in 2024, versus $650 for frauds that began on social media (Federal Trade Commission, 2025).
• Losses reported by adults aged 60 and over to scams that began with a text message rose more than eightfold between 2020 and 2024, and losses to scams that began on social media nearly ninefold (Federal Trade Commission, 2025).
• $1,650 was the median fraud loss reported by people aged 80 and over who lost money in 2024, the highest of any age band ($1,000 for ages 70-79, $691 for 60-69 and $417 for 20-29) (FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024).
• $319 million in fraud losses was reported to the FTC by people aged 80 and over in 2024, about four times the $78.5 million reported in 2018 (51,713 fraud reports; median loss $1,650) (FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024).
• 8,269 adults aged 60 and over reported losing $10,000 or more to business or government impersonation scams in 2024, more than four times the 1,790 who did in 2020 (FTC Data Spotlight, 2025).
• $2.4 billion in fraud losses was reported to the FTC by adults aged 60 and over in 2024, up from about $600 million in 2020 (Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025, 2025).
• Up to $81.5 billion was lost to fraud by Americans aged 60 and over in 2024 once unreported cases are estimated, according to the FTC, whose most conservative estimate is $10.1 billion (Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025, 2025).
• Up to $61.5 billion was lost to fraud by Americans aged 60 and over in 2023 once unreported cases are estimated, according to the FTC; its conservative estimate was $7.1 billion (Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers 2023-2024, 2024).
• 68% of the fraud losses reported by adults aged 60 and over in 2024 came from the 5% of their loss reports involving more than $100,000; controlling for population, older adults were nearly twice as likely as younger adults to report a six-figure loss (Federal Trade Commission, 2025).
• 5,125 adults aged 60 and over reported losing more than $100,000 to fraud in 2024, up 351% from 1,136 in 2020 (Federal Trade Commission, Protecting Older Consumers 2024-2025, 2025).
• $445 million was lost in 2024 by adults aged 60 and over who reported losing more than $100,000 each to impersonation scams, eight times the $55 million in 2020 (Federal Trade Commission, 2025).
• 33% of adults aged 60 and over who lost $10,000 or more to a business or government impersonation scam in 2024 paid in cryptocurrency, followed by bank transfer (20%) and cash (16%) (FTC Data Spotlight, 2025).
• Adults aged 60 and over were 400% (five times) more likely than younger adults to report losing money to a tech support scam in 2024, and 172% (nearly three times) more likely for prize, sweepstakes or lottery scams, after controlling for population size (Federal Trade Commission, 2025).
• $1,180 million in fraud losses was reported to the FTC by people aged 60-69 in 2024, more than any other age band; people aged 70-79 reported $887 million and those 80 and over $319 million (FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024).
• 21% of fraud reports filed by people aged 80 and over in 2024 involved a money loss, versus 24% for ages 70-79, 29% for 60-69 and 44% for 20-29 (FTC Consumer Sentinel Network Data Book 2024).
• 15.8% of fraud reports for people aged 80 and over in 2024 were filed by someone else on their behalf, such as an adult child, spouse or caretaker, far more than for any other age group (5.7% for ages 70-79, 3.7% for 60-69) (Federal Trade Commission, 2025).
• 74% of fraud reports filed by adults aged 60 and over in 2024 involved no money loss: they were reports of scams people spotted (Federal Trade Commission, 2025).
• About two-thirds (66%) of the $389 million lost through cryptocurrency ATMs or kiosks in complaints to the FBI in 2025 was reported by people aged 60 and over ($257.5 million from 6,188 of 13,460 complaints) (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report; share calculated).
• 12,444 people aged 60 and over reported losing more than $100,000 each in complaints to the FBI in 2025, and the average loss per complaint from this age group was $38,500 (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report).
• 37% of all losses reported to the FBI in 2025 ($7.7 billion of $20.9 billion) were reported by people aged 60 and over, the largest share of any age group (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report; share calculated).
• 48,064 complaints from people aged 60 and over to the FBI in 2025 concerned phishing or spoofing, the most common type, ahead of tech or customer support scams (21,333) and investment fraud (16,926) (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report).
• $3.52 billion of the losses reported to the FBI by people aged 60 and over in 2025 came from investment fraud, followed by tech or customer support scams ($1.04 billion) and confidence or romance scams ($584 million) (FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, 2025 IC3 Annual Report).
• $27 billion in suspicious activity linked to elder financial exploitation was reported by US financial institutions in 155,415 filings between June 2022 and June 2023, including attempted transactions; scams accounted for about 80% of the reported activity (FinCEN, 2024).
• 57% of US adults aged 50 and over who do not fully trust AI said they worry about AI scams, such as fake phone calls that sound like a real family member (AARP, 2026 Tech Trends and Adults 50-Plus).

• 78.8% of special-fraud cases in Japan in 2025 began with a phone call, versus 13.8% that began with an email or message (SMS, social media or email) and 4.6% with a pop-up (National Police Agency, 2026).
• 79.0% of special-fraud cases in Japan in 2024 began with a phone call (email or message 10.0%; pop-up 8.8%) (National Police Agency, 2025).
• 77.5% of special-fraud cases in Japan in 2023 began with a phone call (pop-up 12.2%; email or message 9.1%) (National Police Agency, 2024).
• 65.4% of special-fraud cases in Japan in 2024 (excluding corporate victims) involved victims aged 65 and over (13,738 cases) (National Police Agency, 2025).
• 78.4% of special-fraud cases in Japan in 2023 (excluding corporate victims) involved victims aged 65 and over (14,895 cases) (National Police Agency, 2024).
• 83.7% of special-fraud cases in Japan in 2019 involved victims aged 65 and over (14,100 cases) (National Police Agency, 2020).
• 3,235 cases of 'it's me' (ore-ore) phone fraud in Japan in 2025 targeted people aged 80 and over, more than any other age group, with losses of ¥19.95 billion; people in their 70s lost ¥31.46 billion in 2,453 cases (National Police Agency, 2026).
• 331,653 suspicious 'precursor' phone calls probing people's addresses, assets and banks were logged by Japanese police in 2025, up 71.4% from 2024 (National Police Agency, 2026).
• 46.7% of voice-phishing losses in South Korea in 2022, ₩67.3 billion (673억원), were suffered by people aged 60 and over (Financial Supervisory Service, 2024).
• 37.0% of voice-phishing losses in South Korea in 2021, ₩61.2 billion (612억원), were suffered by people aged 60 and over (Financial Supervisory Service, 2024).
• 75.6% of voice-phishing victims aged 60 and over in South Korea in 2023 (3,000 people) were caught by messenger phishing, in which scammers text pretending to be a family member or acquaintance (Financial Supervisory Service, 2024).
• A$99.6 million was reported lost to scams by Australians aged 65 and over in 2024, the most of any age group and 31.3% of all Scamwatch losses (National Anti-Scam Centre, 2025).
• A$121.0 million was reported lost to scams by Australians aged 65 and over in 2023 (National Anti-Scam Centre, 2025).
• 36% of investment-scam losses reported in Canada in 2024 were reported by people aged 60 and over, the age group with the highest investment-scam losses (Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, 2025).
• 28.1% of adults aged 75 and over in England and Wales received a message that may have been phishing in the month before interview (year to March 2025), versus 47.2% of all adults; 2.3% of older recipients replied or clicked a link, against 1.8% overall (ONS, 2026).
• An odds ratio of 4.25 for financial loss from cybercrime was found for internet users aged 75 and over compared with younger people, even though they were less likely to report any cybercrime (p = 0.037; 35,069 respondents, Crime Survey for England and Wales 2019/20) (Havers et al., PLOS ONE, 2024).

Sources: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internet Crime Complaint Center; Federal Trade Commission (2019-2025); Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; AARP Research; National Police Agency (2019-2026); Financial Supervisory Service; National Anti-Scam Centre; Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre; Office for National Statistics; PLOS ONE