Sustainable Development Goals - 17 Goals to Transform our World
Partnerships for the goals - Goal 17

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Indicator 17.8.1: Proportion of individuals using the Internet

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Proportion of US individuals using the Internet (age 3 and over)

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Headline data

Year Value
2000 0.44
2001 0.54
2003 0.59
2007 0.62
2009 0.68
2010 0.72
2011 0.7
2012 0.75
2013 0.71
2015 0.75
2017 0.78

This table provides metadata for the actual indicator available from US statistics closest to the corresponding global SDG indicator. Please note that even when the global SDG indicator is fully available from US statistics, this table should be consulted for information on national methodology and other US-specific metadata information.

Actual indicator available Proportion of individuals using the Internet
Actual indicator available - description Proportion of individuals using the Internet, age 3 and over
Date of national source publication June 2018
Method of computation
Periodicity Annual or biennial
Scheduled update by national source
U.S. method of computation Data are derived from the 1) Computer and Internet Use and 2) School Enrollment and Internet Use Supplements of the Current Population Survey (CPS). The Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics jointly sponsor the CPS. The Census Bureau and National Center for Education Statistics jointly sponsored the 2003, 2007, and 2009-2010 supplements. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration sponsored the 2011-2013 and 2015-2017 supplements. Data are collected by the Census Bureau. Individuals using the Internet: Persons age 3 and over who use the Internet from any location. Metadata sources: http://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/technical-documentation/complete.html
Comments and limitations The next CPS Computer and Internet Use Supplement is scheduled for 2019-11.
Date metadata updated 2019-05-07
Disaggregation geography National and by state
Unit of measurement Proportion
Disaggregation categories Available by age group, employment status, income (2010 forward), education, sex, race and Hispanic origin, disability status (2009 forward), metropolitan status, whether school-aged child in household, and veteran status.
International and national references NA
Time period Since 2015, the questionnaire asked about Internet use during the past 6 months. Earlier questionnaires did not specify a reference period.
Scheduled update by SDG team

This table provides information on metadata for SDG indicators as defined by the UN Statistical Commission. Complete global metadata is provided by the UN Statistics Division.

Indicator name Proportion of individuals using the Internet
Target name Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology.
Global indicator description This indicator is defined as the proportion of individuals who used the Internet from any location in the last three months. The Internet is a worldwide public computer network. It provides access to a number of communication services including the World Wide Web and carries e-mail, news, entertainment and data files, irrespective of the device used (not assumed to be only via a computer _ it may also be by mobile telephone, tablet, PDA, games machine, digital TV etc.). Access can be via a fixed or mobile network. For countries that collect data on this indicator through an official survey, this indicator is calculated by dividing the total number of in-scope individuals using the Internet (from any location) in the last 3 months by the total number of in-scope individuals. For countries that have not carried out an official survey, data are estimated (by ITU) based on the number of Internet subscriptions and other socioeconomic indicators such as for example GNI per capita, and on the time series data of the indicator.
UN designated tier 1
UN custodial agency ITU
Link to UN metadata UN metadata opens in a new window
Organisation U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Internet Use Supplements
Agency Staff Name Michael Martin
Agency Survey Dataset U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey Internet Use Supplements
Notes Web source: NTIA Digital Nation Data Explorer https://www.ntia.doc.gov/data/digital-nation-data-explorer
Title
Link to data source