Internet Adoption in America: Who Isn’t Online Yet?
The internet is so widely used today that for many, it’s hard to imagine life without it. Yet, despite its prevalence, there’s still a small fraction of Americans who aren’t online.
Who are these non-adopters? Using data from Pew Research Center, this graphic provides a demographic breakdown of the U.S. adults who don’t use the internet.
The Demographic Breakdown
In the last two decades, internet adoption in the U.S. has skyrocketed, causing America’s offline population shrink to just 7%. That’s a significant drop from 2000, when almost half of the American population did not use the internet.
According to the data, age appears to be closely linked to non-internet use—25% of respondents aged 65+ claimed they do not use the internet, compared to just 4% of those aged 50-64.
Dataset
| Age | % of U.S. Adults Who Don't Use the Internet |
|---|---|
| 18-29 | 1% |
| 30-49 | 2% |
| 50-64 | 4% |
| 65+ | 25% |
Data sources
Details: This survey is based on telephone interviews conducted in the U.S. from Jan. 25-Feb. 8, 2021, among a national sample of 1,502 adults, 18 years of age or older, living in all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. Full details on methodology here.
