The first bar chart illustrates the percentage of people who owned smartphones between 2000 and 2010, while the second compares smartphone ownership among people with different levels of educational attainment in 2000 and 2010.
Overall, smartphone ownership increased steadily and substantially over the period, rising from 40% in 2000 to approximately 85% in 2010. In addition, there was a clear positive relationship between educational attainment and smartphone ownership in both years, with the highest proportions consistently recorded among doctorate holders.
In 2000, 40% of the population owned a smartphone. This figure then rose gradually, reaching approximately 48% in 2002 and just over 50% in 2004. Ownership subsequently increased more rapidly, climbing to around 62% in 2006 and 75% in 2008, before reaching a peak of approximately 85% in 2010. Thus, over the ten-year period, the proportion of smartphone owners more than doubled.
A similar pattern can be seen when ownership is considered by educational level. In 2000, the proportion ranged from only about 12% among people without a high-school certificate to approximately 78% among doctorate holders. The figures for high-school graduates, bachelor’s degree holders and master’s degree holders stood at roughly 33%, 60% and 70%, respectively. By 2010, ownership had risen across every educational category, reaching approximately 45% among those without a high-school certificate, 62% among high-school graduates, 80% among bachelor’s degree holders, 85% among master’s degree holders and 90% among doctorate holders.