The bar chart illustrates the proportion of households with internet access across four income brackets in the years 2010 and 2020.
It is immediately apparent that internet penetration increased across all income categories over the decade. However, what stands out is the anomalous pattern whereby households in the third income group consistently demonstrated higher levels of internet access than those in the highest income group—a deviation from the expected positive correlation between income and digital connectivity.
In 2010, approximately 75% of households in the third income cohort reported internet access, surpassing the highest income group, which stood at around 70%. By 2020, this disparity persisted, with the third group reaching approximately 90%, whereas the highest group registered an access rate of about 80%.
Similarly, the second income group experienced moderate growth, rising from just below 60% in 2010 to roughly 70% a decade later. The lowest income group, although starting at a significantly lower base of around 35%, saw a notable increase to approximately 50% in 2020.
To summarise, all income groups experienced measurable improvements in internet accessibility over the examined period. Nevertheless, the data reveal a counterintuitive trend: the third income group consistently outperformed the highest income group in terms of connectivity, suggesting potential disparities not strictly aligned with income levels alone.