Almost 75% of European adults access the Internet regularly, and more than half of them own two or more connected devices, according to Forrester’s first benchmark report on the state of consumers and technology for Europe. Based on a survey of more than 22,000 respondents, the benchmark provides in-depth graphical analysis of a wide range of topics, including online activities, device ownership, media consumption, retail, social media, and mobile behaviors across the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

“Consumers in Europe are more connected today than ever before,” comments Forrester Research Director Reineke Reitsma in her blog post about the new report. She adds, however, that “Companies that want to interact with these new, perpetually connected customers will need to take into account the differences that exist between European countries.”

Survey data findings from the benchmark include:

  • UK consumers are the most connected in Europe, with 83% going online regularly. UK online adults are also the most likely to own a device like a laptop (64%), smartphone (52%), or tablet (12%).
  • French consumers are behind the curve in terms of consumer tech adoption; they are the least likely to own a laptop (56%), smartphone (42%), or tablet (7%).
  • Consumers aren’t just online at home. While 64% of European online adults access the Internet from their living room, 44% from the bedroom, and 31% from the kitchen, 22% state they are online when they are outdoors — and 14% when in the car. 
  • Twitter is least popular in Germany and France. Only 5% of German online adults and 7% of French online adults state that they have a Twitter account, compared with 18% in the UK. Facebook adoption is much more evenly spread across Europe; on average, 58% of European online adults have an account on this social network. 

The report mentioned in this release, The State Of Consumers And Technology: Benchmark 2012, Europe, is available to Forrester Consumer Technographics® clients.