The Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) in Egypt revealed that the number of households owning a computer reached 13.82 million households in 2018 compared to 12.64 million in 2017, an increase of 9.33 percent.
In a statement on Thursday on the occasion of World Information Society Day, CAPMAS said that the number of households owning a television set was 23.54 million in 2018, compared to 22.13 million households in 2017, an increase of 6.37 percent.
The statement said that the number of households with mobile phones reached 23.41 million in 2018, compared to 22.19 million in 2017, an increase of 5.50 percent.
CAPMAS pointed out that the number of households using Internet in obtaining information on goods and services reached 8.67 million in 2018, compared with 7.36 million in 2017, an increase of 17.80 percent.
The statement said that the number of households using Internet in obtaining information from government agencies reached 7.69 million in 2018, compared to 6.66 million in 2017, an increase of 15.46 percent.
World Information Society Day was proclaimed to be on 17 May by a United Nations General Assembly resolution following the 2005 World Summit on the Information Society in Tunis.
The day had previously been known as ‘World Telecommunication Day’ to commemorate the founding of the International Telecommunication Union on May 17 1865. It was instituted by the Plenipotentiary Conference in Malaga-Torremolinos in 1973.
The main objective of the day is to raise global awareness of societal changes brought about by the Internet and new technologies. It also aims to help reduce the digital divide.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
