Google Chrome continues to muscle its way into the browser market as GfK data for January-June 2010 shows that it has a 7% share of the browser market. In June 2010 alone it accounted for a 9% share which is remarkable considering that it has only been in existence for 2 years.
To highlight the impact that Google Chrome is making we have compared Jan-Jun 2009 data against the same rolling months of 2010.
Compared to this time last year Internet Explorer has lost 12% market share while the Chrome and Firefox browsers have gained some ground. The bad publicity around Internet Explorer and its security flaws combined with the EU enforced browser ballot cannot have done Internet Explorer any favours. Google Chrome is taking full advantage and eating its way into Internet Explorer at a rapid rate and there is no doubt that they want to do the same to Firefox
Similar to our findings in the last browser update it is the younger age groups that continue to push Google Chrome. GfK data for June 2010 shows that 37% of Chrome users are aged 16-24. When considering that 70% of people in this age group spend 20 or more hours on the internet per week – there are a lot of hours being spent on the internet via Google Chrome.
Feel free to take a look at the latest GfK browser statistics here.
The GfK figures align closely with the figures reported by StatsCounter and Net Applications. Although GfK data is only based on UK browser market share it has an added advantage of also containing important demographic information which is unavailable elsewhere (age, gender, UK region, marital status, time spent on the internet). From our data we know that only 25% of people in full time education are using Internet Explorer. If you are interesting in getting some more of this data then please feel free to contact GfK NOP Technology.
How we collect the data
Each month GfK NOP conduct a UK based online survey among UK adults aged 16 and over. The sample is representative of UK adults who use the internet ten hours or more per month. It is important to note that we do not ask a question about which browser the respondent uses, instead, our servers determine the respondent’s browser used to complete the survey. This data is therefore more robust than stated survey data as it is based on actual usage.
Monthly sample size; June 2010 (n=1224)
Jan-Jun 2009 (n=5763)
Jan-Jun 2010 (n=7360)
A recent GfK NOP Technology report shows consumers’ love affair with mobile phone applications has turned from a dalliance into a settled and dependable relationship. With a fifth of smartphone users downloading more apps than six months ago, mobile applications may soon replace browsers as the main gateway to the web for mobile phone users.
To read the full GfK NOP Technology report click here
Users of Google Chrome are young and heavy users of the internet. By attracting this demographic they are best placed to topple Internet Explorer from top spot in the browser wars
We recently showed that Internet Explorer’s UK market share is being eroded by the recent EU enforced browser ballot . Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are the main beneficiaries as they continue to increase their share of the internet browser market, but where exactly is this growth coming from? We have used the GfK browser data to understand who exactly is using the different browsers and what this all means.
GfK Technology data shows that 36% of Google Chrome users are aged 16-24. The young and their openness to alternatives has always been a stronghold for Mozilla Firefox, but with only 30% of their users aged 16-24 it seems that Google Chrome is increasingly becoming the trendy alternative to Internet Explorer. Having said that, Internet Explorer still leads the market with 56% of UK internet users, but this share is falling and will continue to do so with the introduction of the browser ballot. Most worryingly for Internet Explorer is the fact that those who spend longest on the internet fall into the youngest age groups; Google Chromes largest market. 16-24 year olds are most likely to have grown up with the internet and 70% of them spend 20 or more hours on the internet each week. In comparison, 57% of 35-44 year olds (Internet Explorer’s largest market) spend 20 or more hours on the internet each week. The once dominant browser is losing share to both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox in the areas where it would least want to; those that are young and those who use the internet the most.
Google Chrome continues to grow since its release in 2008. It may only have a 10% market share at the moment but its users are more likely to be online than any Mozilla Firefox or Internet Explorer user (72% of Google Chrome users spend 20 or more hours online per week). Google Chrome will only enhance Google’s ambition to get everybody online using all things Google.
For a full demographic breakdown of the internet browser usage click here
How we collect the data
Each month GfK NOP conduct a UK based online survey among UK adults aged 16 and over. The sample is representative of UK adults who use the internet ten hours or more per month. It is important to note that we do not ask a question about which browser the respondent uses, instead, our servers determine the respondent’s browser used to complete the survey. This data is therefore more robust than stated survey data as it is based on actual usage.
Monthly sample size; March 2010 (n=1226)
Since Windows introduced a browser ballot at the start of March, GfK Technology research shows that Internet Explorer has lost market share in the UK. Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox have been the main beneficiaries of this new EU enforced regulation.
It was inevitable that Internet Explorer would lose some of its market share when its users were offered alternative browsers at the start of March. The EU thought it was essential that consumers should be offered a choice of browser, to stimulate competition in the browser market.
Early data suggests that when faced with an option, UK consumers have opted for an alternative browser. As we approach the end of March we can see that since the beginning of the month Internet Explorer’s market share in the UK has dropped 5%, with Google Chrome and Firefox each gaining an additional 3% market share.
We will continue to track the developments of internet browser usage over the course of the year so check back for more data and analysis over the next few months. If you’re interested, GfK Technology has been tracking consumer usage of internet browsers since the start of 2009 and we have created a shared Google document with our latest data here
How we collect the data
Each month GfK NOP conduct a UK based online survey among UK adults aged 16 and over. The sample is representative of UK adults who use the internet ten hours or more per month. It is important to note that we do not ask the question directly, instead, our servers determine the respondent’s browser used to complete the survey. This data is therefore more robust than stated survey data as it is based on actual usage.
Monthly sample sizes were as follows; February (n=1231) and March (n=1226)
