The number of internet users in Germany has been growing annually. In 1997 4.1 million people used the internet at least occasionally and in 2021 this number was almost 67 million, which is impressive not only in terms of growth, but in relation to Germany's population of around 83 million. User numbers actually increased among older age groups, which can be attributed to these spending more time at home and therefore turning to the internet more frequently, be it for communication, daily tasks or media consumption. Younger age groups, meanwhile, recorded growing levels of mobile internet usage.
A rising number of German internet users go online several times a day. While 98 percent of onliners used the internet in their homes, 81 percent did so outside of it. The widespread use of mobile devices to go online beyond the desktop computer at home, in combination with expanding options for public Wi-Fi, gradually renders internet cafés obsolete. Transportation networks within cities may offer their own Wi-Fi network to passengers. Another common example is a coffee shop with Wi-Fi access, with guests bringing their own laptops, smartphones and tablets to go online there.
Germany is among the leading countries in the EU in terms of growing internet access since 2002. The German population was generally interested in the internet as such and using online services. In 2020, 96 percent of German households had internet access.
