What does Information and communication technologies (ICT) in households describe?
The ICT survey is a European survey that has been conducted annually since 2002. The survey on ICT use in households provides data on the equipment and use of modern information and communication technologies, especially computers and the internet. The focus is on questions regarding the type, frequency and selected purposes of internet use (e. g. e-commerce, e-government, or e-learning). Also, information is collected on the reservations and obstacles that prevent people from using new information and communication technologies.
How is Information and communication technologies (ICT) in households covered?
In Germany, the survey is conducted as a separate survey, involving coordination and cooperation with the statistical offices of the Länder. The Federal Statistical Office is in charge of the coordination at the European level and of the methodical, technical and organisational preparation of the survey. The statistical offices of the Länder are responsible for recruiting and questioning the households. Data processing and evaluation as well as publication of the federal results fall within the responsibility of the Federal Statistical Office. Reference periods are the 1st quarter of any reference year and the period from the 2nd quarter of the previous year to the 1st quarter of the reference year. Providing information is voluntary.
The main European legal bases for the survey are Regulation (EC) No 808/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 April 2004 concerning Community statistics on the information society (OJ L 143 p. 49), amended by Regulation (EC) No 1006/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 September 2009 (OJ L 286 p. 31) as well as the relevant implementing Regulations of the Commission.
Since reference year 2006, the law on the statistics on the information society of 22 December 2005 (BGBl. I p. 3685) has been applicable as another national legal basis for the ICT survey.
The sample unit of ICT is the household, referring to any entirety of persons living and keeping house together. The ICT is a quota sample survey, which means that all households are selected and questioned according to a given quota plan. The population of households is broken down into groups using specific quota variables. For each group, the quota is given as the number of households to be questioned.
Following the microcensus principles, the population of households is first of all subdivided by Länder. In a second step, the household population per Land is grouped by the quota variables of household type, social status of the main income earner, and household net income. For each of the quota cells thus obtained, the number of households to be questioned is determined.
The survey is conducted in writing and consists of two parts. Through a household questionnaire, information on the equipment of households with information and communication technologies is collected. To get an exact picture of the using habits of individuals in the households, each person living in the household and aged 10 years or over is given a personal questionnaire con-taining questions on the person's computer and internet use.
Further information on ICT in households is contained in the quality report (only in German).
Signs and symbols in the tables:
– = no figures or magnitude zero
/ = no data because the numerical value is not sufficiently reliable
. = numerical value unknown or not be disclosed
X = cell blocked for logical reasons
() = limited informational value because numerical value is of limited statistical reliability