Spain is above the European average in percentage of electronic banking users, reaching 71.45%. What trends can we observe in rural areas of the country?
According to the latest report of the Asteo Observatory in rural populations with less than 10,000 inhabitants and ultra-rural populations (less than 1,000),going online to do business with the bank is the fourth most commonreason for surfing the Internet(63%).
In the case of smaller towns, the percentage is even higher, reaching 67%, compared to 62% in towns with between 1,001 and 10,000 inhabitants. These percentages increase in the case of teleworkers (72%) and households with children (71%).
What steps do you take when you connect with your bank?
The most frequent activities performed through online banking include balance inquiries (97%), managing transfers (72%), and using Bizum (65%). These patterns are consistent regardless of population size, with specific data of 97%, 72%, and 66% for areas with less than 10,000 inhabitants, and 99%, 72%, and 62% for those with less than 1,000 inhabitants.
Preferences and motivations for online banking
The main reason that leads Internet users in rural areas to opt for online banking is its 24/7 availability (59%) and the convenience of avoiding travel (59%). In smaller towns, these percentages increase to 64% and 62%, respectively. The absence of nearby bank branches is a more relevant factor in towns with less than 1,000 inhabitants, reaching 41% compared to an average of 19%. Nevertheless, it is the fifth most important reason. It is important to clarify that the Observatory’s studies collect data from Internet users residing in rural areas.
Curiosities: They are from Bizum and they are from traditional transfers.
A curious fact is that the use of Bizum is more common among women (76% vs. 57% of men), while men prefer traditional transfers (76% vs. 66% of women).
Impact of the presence of minors in the home
In the case of the use of Bizum, those who live in households where there is a minor also have higher percentages: 84% compared to 58% of households where all residents are of legal age.
When it comes to connecting to the bank, those who work remotely (72%) and those who have children at home (71%) also stand out with higher percentages.
Digital divide in rural areas
These data reflect the wide penetration of online banking among Internet users in rural areas and highlight the importance of encouraging and facilitating access to connectivity and frequent use by all residents of these areas in order to bridge the digital divide.
