How Can We Improve UK Digital Skills Inequalities?

Around a fifth of the UK population do not have essential digital skills for life as defined by the UK Government, however, certain groups are less likely to have digital skills than others.

While research suggests the number of people with basic digital skills has increased in recent years, concerns remain about those who lack them. Good Things Foundation (a UK digital inclusion charity) and others have highlighted that digitally excluded people may experience negative impacts, including poorer health outcomes and social isolation.

The main factors correlated with digital skill level are:

Age:

Age is the main factor, with older people more likely to have no or limited digital skills. The 2022 Lloyds Bank Consumer Digital Index (‘the Index’) found that 46% of people aged 65+ had essential digital skills for life, compared with 96% of people in the 15-24 age group.

Socioeconomic status:

Those with fewer digital skills are more likely to be in lower socioeconomic groups. The 2020 Index found that 95% of those with an annual household income of over £50,000 had essential digital skills for life, compared with 64% of people with a household income under £17,499.31

Location:

Digital skills levels vary regionally across the UK. The 2020 Index found that in London, 82% of those age 15+ had essential digital skills for life, compared to 73% in the East Midlands and 67% in Wales.

Education:

Those without formal qualifications are less likely to have digital skills for life than those who have them. The 2020 Index found that 93% of people with a university degree, masters or PhD had essential digital skills for life, compared with 34% of those with no formal qualifications.

Disability:

Disabled people are less likely to have basic digital skills than those who do not. A 2020 ONS survey found that 81.4% of disabled respondents were recent internet users (had used it within the last 3 months) compared with 97.5% of non-disabled respondents.