Snakes & Ladders
The Column
PART III
In previous installments of this column, we discussed the social and economic profiles of Mexicans (click here to read part I) and their consumption habits (click here to read part II).
In this final installment we will see some of the figures published by AMIPCI (Asociación Mexicana de Internet/Mexican Association of Internet) that conducted its 11th study on the habits of internet users in Mexico 2015. This is particularly interesting information since it gives companies a very good idea of how people behave when it comes to this relatively new, but every day more robust, way of communication.
Methodology:
- The sampling error of the global data is of ±3.7% with a level of trust of 95.5% and p=q=0.5
- Men and women, internet users of 13 years old and older (there is a specific zoom for children 6-12 years old)
- 1662 individuals of 13 years old or older (sampling error +2.4%)
Main Objectives Of The Study;
The main objective of the study was to identify and characterize the activities or actions of internet users in Mexico.
- The specific objectives of this study were:
- Define the profile of Internet users.
- Understand the use being made of the Internet (both particular and professional).
- Understand the use of social networks in Mexico and what are the most important networks.
- Generate useful information for companies to identify the market for Internet.
According to the investigation, the number of Internet users in Mexico grew by 5.3 percent, raising the percentage of the population in Mexico using Internet from 51.2 million up to 53.9 million people.
PROFILE OF THE MEXICAN INTERNET USER by AMIPCI (Click to enlarge)
TIME AND PLACES OF CONNECTION
Users connect an average of 6 hours and 11 minutes a day to the Internet. 24 minutes more than in 2014 and usually connect from home, followed by work. School as a place of connection gained users compared to last year. The path is WiFi (public or private) thereby increasing the contracted access.
At home, 84% of users are connected; 80% of these do through paid wireless, and 85% connect most on Fridays. In addition, those who connect from home are 24 or older, while those who connect most are men from 19 years and above.
WIFI from public access reaches 58% (mostly men), while those connected during weekdays are mostly women.
CONNECTION by AMIPCI (Click to enlarge)
MAIN ACTIVITIES ONLINE -What Mexicans are doing Online-
On the other hand, access to social networks is now the main online activity (85%), information search (78%), send and receive emails (73%).
Depending on the use made of the Internet, the first activity changes: if the application is working, what online users do more is to send and receive emails (65%) whereas if it is a use for leisure main activity, it is to use social networks (83%).
It is noteworthy that those who connect to social networks are women 19 to 24 years. Most of those who send and receive e-mails for leisure (55%) are women. They also dominate the activity of downloading music for entertainment.
ONLINE ACTIVITIES by AMIPCI (Click to enlarge)
CHILDREN’S ACCESS TO INTERNET
The access of children to the net is high, and of those with children who answered, 83% of parents say that children access the Internet usually for entertainment or information required from school. According to the data, children begin to access the Internet from 8 years in most cases, but children between 3 and 6 years are also a significant percentage (43%).
USING SOCIAL NETWORKS
9 out of 10 people access a social network: In Mexico social network penetration among Internet users is highly maintained. Amongst those not entering or using social networks, most claim that is because they fear the vulnerability it brings to their privacy since their information is out there in the open.
SOCIAL NETWORKS by AMIPCI (Click to enlarge)
So… What can we conclude about Mexico?
Mexico is a very interesting country to live and to invest. Through its telecommunication systems, its roads and harbors, this nation offers the great advantage of its amazing communication system. Its proximity to the world’s leading consumption centers allows businesses to increase their response times to demand changes while it helps to decrease inventory costs.
With growing incomes, Mexican households have been spending on many more possessions than basic comforts. The changes in ownership of home appliances, automobiles and electronics over the decades show very interesting consumption trends. Mexico is changing, becoming a very interesting place for investment. As an example, The Boston Consulting Group reports that Asian companies such as Sharp, Sony and Samsung dominate around one-third of investment in Mexican electronics manufacturing, compared with only around 8 percent a decade ago. The primary reason is better productivity in Mexico compared to China with similar labor costs and with higher rate of productivity. The Mexican workforce also has a strong work ethic, as the average Mexican works more hours per year than people in any other country member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, with fewer labor conflicts.
Some Interestings Facts To Think About
- Mexico is a safe place for foreign investment; it has signed 28 Investment Promotion and Protection Agreements (IPPA) and Double Taxation Treaties with more than 40 countries.
- Mexico has a population with an age average of 25-27 years. By 2030, the working population in Mexico will reach 62 million, almost the entire population of countries like the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
- Mexico is the 2nd largest economy in Latin America. Goldman Sachs forecasts by 2050, Mexico will become the 5th largest economy in the world, above countries like the United Kingdom.
And one last, (but not least important point)… There are in Mexico, more than 745,000 university students in engineering and technology programs and out of those, every year, 115,000 graduate. That is more than the rest of Latin America and the US combined.
J.Urioste
[email protected]
Snakes and Ladders is a column by José E. Urioste, The Yucatan Times CEO and a Business Intelligence professional in the area of Research and Development. He began his training process in mass media writing scripts for radio programs, commercials and advertising campaigns and has contribuited with newspapers, magazines and other media in general on various topics ranging from the professional to the editorial. José is the author of 3 fiction novels that have been presented in numerous forums and literary competitions, causing much controversy as to their content.
