Survey: Rural Romanians surf the Internet but few have running water and modern toilets

Romanians who live in rural areas enjoy internet connections but live in poor conditions, with little to no access to basic household utilities, a recent survey found. Some 60% of Romanians living in rural areas have access to the Internet, similar to the 2007-2008 level in the urban areas. However, only 28% of rural Romanians have toilets inside their homes, according to a recent Romanian Audit Bureau (BRAT) study. Almost 70% of Romania’s total population aged between 14 and 64 uses the Internet, representing 10.3 million people. Most of them, namely 64%, live in urban areas, while the rest live in rural regions. Some 7.6 million people aged between 14 and 64 use the Internet on a daily basis, which is half of the population in this age category, according to Arina Ureche, general manager of BRAT. Almost 70% of rural Romanians use the Internet to check their emails, 77% use it to access social networks, 71% read newspapers/magazines, 59% use it to find different information, 59% watch online videos, 52% buy different products/services, 25% use it for banking services and 37% for dating. In urban areas, three quarters of Romanians use the Internet for emails, the same amount, for social networks and 67% use it to find different information. Over 90% of Romanians in rural areas use the computer to connect to the Internet, 18% use a tablet and 59% use their smartphones. In urban areas, 95% of population use the computer, 15% the tablet and 45% their smartphones. When it comes to access to utilities, 99% of rural Romanians have access to electricity, 62% have Internet connection and 45% have running water supply. On the other hand, only 36% of them have bath or shower inside their homes, 32% have hot water and only 28% have toilets inside the house. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com