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New data from the Central Statistics Office indicates that Irish households continue to increase their use of online services, with internet banking reaching its highest level of adoption to date. The CSO’s latest Household Digital Consumer Behaviour report, covering the second quarter of the year, highlights a continued shift toward digital habits across nearly all age groups.

Email returned to the top position as the most common online activity, used by 95 percent of internet users. Banking online or through mobile apps followed closely at 94 percent, reflecting a seven-point rise on last year’s figures. Even among those aged 75 and over, usage remained strong, with more than seven in ten engaging in digital banking.

Searching for information on goods or services ranked third at 92 percent, showing the breadth of digital engagement among Irish consumers. Health-related research online continues to hold steady, with 68 percent turning to the internet for information. The figures also reveal clear gender differences: 77 percent of women sought health information online, compared with 55 percent of men.

Online shopping remains deeply embedded in consumer behaviour. Eighty-five percent of internet users purchased goods online, consistent with last year. Clothing and accessories remain the most common purchase category, although usage dipped to 70 percent from last year’s level. Women were significantly more active in this category, with 83 percent buying clothing online compared with 56 percent of men. Men were more likely to buy sports equipment, at 27 percent versus 21 percent of women.

Streaming services for films, series and sports such as Netflix and Disney+ saw further growth, reaching 71 percent usage. Ordering takeaway food online slipped marginally to 45 percent, although households with children remained more frequent users of takeaway and grocery delivery services.

Social networking and instant messaging remain central to daily communication. Seventy-five percent of internet users engaged in social networking, while 84 percent used internet telephony or video calling platforms including WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom. Women reported slightly higher use of instant messaging services than men.

Artificial intelligence also made a notable appearance in the findings. Forty-two percent of internet users had engaged with generative AI tools in the preceding three months. Adoption was far higher among younger groups, with 65 percent of those aged 16 to 29 using AI tools, compared with only 15 percent of those aged 60 to 74 and 6 percent aged 75 and older.

One area that saw a decline was online booking for travel and events. Fewer users booked event tickets, travel, or accommodation online compared with last year. Event booking fell to 57 percent, travel booking to 61 percent, and accommodation booking to 48 percent.

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available information and is intended for general guidance only. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy at the time of publication, details may change and errors may occur. This content does not constitute financial, legal or professional advice. Readers should seek appropriate professional guidance before making decisions. Neither the publisher nor the authors accept liability for any loss arising from reliance on this material.