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Table 6 Singapore’s Internet User/Non-Users, by Housing Type
Housing Type
Users (%)
Non-Users (%)
HDB 1 or 2-Room
35.5
64.5
HDB 3-Room
36.3
63.7
HDB 4 Room
48.9
51.1
HDB 5 Room / HDB Executive/ HUDC
59.0
41.0
Private 54.2
45.8
Source: Extracted from Kuo, Choi, Mahizhnan, Lee and Soh (2002)
A breakdown of Internet users by education level reveals a positive association between the two
(Table 7). Only 4.5% of those with primary education and below were Internet users while the
increase comes once the educational level is at ‘A’ level, rising from 62.5% of users to 84.5% of
Internet users in the group with degrees and above. Two years earlier, IDA’s Infocomm Literacy
Survey 2000 had revealed that 57% of people with secondary education or lower were not
infocomm literate. (IDA, June 2001).
Table 7 Singapore’s Internet User/Non-Users, by Education
Education Level
Users (%)
Non-Users (%)
Primary or below
4.5
95.5
‘O’ level or equivalent
38.9
61.1
‘A’ level
62.5
37.5
Diploma 78.6
21.4
Degree and above
84.5
15.5
Source: Extracted from Kuo, Choi, Mahizhnan, Lee and Soh (2002)
Along with the higher education profile of an Internet user, an ITU study (ITU, 2002)
found that
there is also a breakdown of Internet use by language and those who do not speak English tend
not to be Internet users. Figure 7 shows that while only 58.5% of Singaporeans who only know
English are non Internet users, the figure changes drastically to 94.4% and 100% for those who
only know Chinese and Malay respectively. It is also an advantage to be bilingual. Around
55.5% of Singaporeans who understand English and Chinese are online, compared to 38% of
Singaporeans who are literate in either Chinese or English but not both.
Convention