The bar chart illustrates the proportions of Australian internet users in six age groups who made online purchases in 2007 and 2009.
Overall, online shopping became more widespread across all ages over the two-year period, with middle-aged users consistently being the most active purchasers. In contrast, the oldest age groups remained the least engaged, despite notable growth.
In both years, the 36-45 cohort accounted for the highest share of online shoppers. Their figure rose markedly from just under 30% in 2007 to approximately 38% in 2009. A similar pattern is evident among those aged 26-35, whose proportion increased slightly from around 31% to 33%, reinforcing the dominance of the two middle-aged groups.
Younger users also experienced moderate growth. The 15-25 category saw a small rise from roughly 20% in 2007 to 23% in 2009, while the 46-55 group showed a more substantial increase, climbing from about 22% to 28%.
By comparison, older adults displayed the lowest engagement in online shopping. The proportion of users aged 56-65 rose from around 12% to 18%, and although the 65+ group almost doubled – from 5% to 12% – it still represented the smallest share overall.