The market intelligence data used for this project were sourced from the CIA World Factbook, applying three data points per market: 1) estimated % of Internet Users, 2) estimated number of mobile cellular subscribers per 100 individuals, 3) estimated number of fixed broadband subscribers per 100 households. All CIA World Factbook estimates were updated within the past 3 years, no longer ago than July 2018.
These CIA estimates were then applied to create two index scores for each market. In both cases, an index score of 100 is equivalent to the US benchmark. The two index scores developed from the data are described below.
- User % Tier, where tier 1 are markets for which the index score is indicative of what share of the total adult population are Internet users, and the index scores are centered at the US benchmark index score of 100, or 87.27% Internet Users. Tier 1 markets have an index score of 95 or above, Tier 2 markets range from 85-94.9, and Tier 3 markets less than 85.
- Broadband Tier is a function of share of mobile cellular users per 100 individuals, divided by share of fixed broadband connections per 100 households. A ratio was calculated by dividing mobile cellular users by fixed broadband households as a proxy to estimate the relative likelihood that an Internet user in each market would be connected via a mobile rather than broadband connection. Once again, the United States measure (123.69 mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 individuals / 34 fixed broadband subscribers per 100 households = 3.64) was used as the benchmark and basis for an index score of 100. For assigning tiers to other markets, the following ranges applied: Tier 1 designation means a Mobile : Broadband index score of 100 or less (Mobile prevalence less than or equal to the US), Tier 2 Mobile : Broadband index range is above 100 and less than 200 (Mobile prevalence somewhat higher than the US), Tier 3 Mobile : Broadband index range is above 200 (Mobile prevalence much higher than the US).
Market Index Scores and Tiers
Country |
Internet User % Index |
User % Tier |
Mobile : Broadband Index |
Broadband Tier |
|
Australia |
99.2 |
1 |
98.1 |
1 |
|
Brazil |
77.3 |
3 |
181.1 |
2 |
|
Canada |
104.3 |
1 |
65.2 |
1 |
|
China |
62.22 |
3 |
114.1 |
2 |
|
France |
94.0 |
2 |
70.7 |
1 |
|
Germany |
102.88 |
1 |
84.0 |
1 |
|
India |
39.53 |
3 |
2316.42 |
3 |
|
Italy |
85.25 |
2 |
135.45 |
2 |
|
Malaysia |
93.0 |
2 |
479.7 |
3 |
|
Mexico |
75.45 |
3 |
174.38 |
2 |
|
Netherlands |
108.5 |
1 |
81.4 |
1 |
|
Nigeria |
48.1 |
3 |
2423.9 |
3 |
|
Russia |
92.7 |
2 |
196.5 |
2 |
|
Spain |
98.7 |
1 |
104.9 |
2 |
|
Thailand |
65.1 |
3 |
393.6 |
3 |
|
United Kingdom |
108.7 |
1 |
78.8 |
1 |
|
United States |
100 |
1 |
100 |
1 |
The combination of these tier groupings provides a framework within which we can provide a general overview of what to expect when conducting online sampling in each market. The remainder of this piece groups together markets based on their designations within this tier-based system, and includes a brief description of these markets’ conditions and how this relates to the types of consumers you can expect to represent, or not, within your online survey samples.
Group 1 Markets (Tier 1 on User % AND Broadband Tier): Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States
Group 1 markets generally have high Internet usage and fixed broadband service subscribership that equal or at some times surpass the US levels. Online samples collected within these markets are generally indicative of the attitudes, behaviors and opinions of a comfortable and established middle class, including lower-middle class and upper-middle class consumers. For an in depth analysis of Group 1 markets, please click here.
Group 2 Markets (Tier 1 or Tier 2 on User % OR Broadband Tier AND not Tier 1 on User % AND Broadband Tier): France, Italy, Spain, Russia
Group 2 markets tend to have moderate levels of internet usage and fixed broadband service subscribership. Due to these limitations, there are some notable barriers within these markets that create gaps in representativeness, namely divides in region and less representation among elderly populations. For an in depth analysis of Group 2 markets, please click here.
Group 3 Markets (Tier 3 on User % OR Broadband Tier): Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, Mexico, Nigeria, Thailand
Group 3 markets have low levels of internet usage and fixed broadband service subscribership. Because of these limitations, online samples collected in these markets primarily consist of younger age groups (50 and under), those based in major metropolitan/urban centers, and from the higher ends of a country’s socioeconomic spectrum. For an in depth analysis of Group 3 markets, please click here.