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Northern Ireland is region with the lowest number of internet users in past three months

Two-thirds of older women have still never used the internet. Picture by Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire
Two-thirds of older women have still never used the internet. Picture by Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire Two-thirds of older women have still never used the internet. Picture by Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire

NORTHERN Ireland has seen the largest increase in recent internet use, although it remains the region with the lowest number of people using it within the past three months.

The north's usage had jumped by 13.2 percentage points since 2011, but 18 per cent of people are still not regularly going online.

New figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show use among the over-75s has nearly doubled in the last five years, although two-thirds of older women have still never used the internet.

This is despite this group showing the largest rise in recent internet users - up 169 per cent since 2011.

The figures show internet use for the first three months of the year and show the vast majority of adults are now regular internet users - with more than 45.9 million people using the internet in the last three months.

Between January and March, more than five million people used the internet for the first time.

However, the number of disabled people and women over 75 who have never used the internet remains high.

A quarter of disabled people have never been online, compared with just 10 per cent of the total adult population.

Mark Atkinson, chief executive at disability charity Scope, said it was "shocking".

"Digital access has the power to make life cost less," he said.

"Many people go online to compare the best consumer deals and offers.

"Life costs more if you are disabled, from higher energy bills to specialist equipment Scope research shows these costs add up to on average £550 per month."

London was the area with the highest proportion of recent internet users at 91 per cent.