"And online behavior has become me more complex and sophisticated," says Karin von Abrams, senior analyst at eMarketer and author of the new report, UK Internet Users and Usage Update. "UK residents increasingly use the Internet as a tool for social and political action, as well as e-mail, shopping, watching videos and keeping up with the latest news."

eMarketer estimates that the number of Internet users in the UK reached 36.8 million in 2007, and will pass 38 million in 2008 - equivalent to 62.6% of the entire population.



"With only one exception," Ms. von Abrams says. "eMarketer estimates are higher than the available figures suggested by other research firms for 2007 and 2008."



"The main reason for the discrepancy," Ms. von Abrams, explains, "is that eMarketer is the only one that takes all ages and all access locations into account - and includes mobile Internet access."

Though the mobile Web market has been slow to take off, the number of mobile UK Web users is increasingly significant and will play a stronger role in future years. According to Entertainment Media Research, less than 10% of adult Internet users in the UK were regularly browsing the Web on a mobile phone as of January 2008, though the proportion was significantly higher among men ages 15 to 34 and women ages 20 to 34.



"Like the rest of the world, the UK had some nasty financial shocks in late 2008," Ms. von Abrams says. "But its status as a major online powerhouse should help the country cope during the downturn."