Hispanic Internet Users in USA

comScore Networks has this week released the first detailed analysis of the online U.S. Hispanic population based on data obtained from the comScore Media Metrix panel of more than 50,000 U.S. Hispanic Internet users.

In January 2003, there were 12.4 million Hispanic users resident in the U.S. that accessed the Internet from either home, work or at a university. Based on these data, the U.S. Hispanic online population, which comprises approximately one third of the total U.S. Hispanic population, is 11 percent larger than the total online population of Spain, and 4 percent larger than the total online population of Mexico, Argentina and Colombia combined.

The comScore estimates are based on a scientifically selected and representative sample of 50,000 U.S. online users who reported themselves as Hispanics and who were recruited in both Spanish and English to be members of the comScore panel. These individuals have given comScore explicit permission to continuously monitor their Internet behaviour.

Although Hispanic Internet users' online usage intensity, as measured by time spent and pages viewed online, is comparable to that of the total Internet population, comScore has highlighted a number of striking differences among Hispanic Web users when compared to the general Internet population. For example, compared to the total Internet population, U.S. Hispanics are a much younger group: 60% of the Hispanic online population is 34 years of age or younger, versus 50% for the total online population. It follows that those over 55 are particularly underrepresented in the Hispanic Internet population compared to the total U.S. Internet population.

U.S. Hispanic Web users are also much more likely to live in larger households. For example, 39% of U.S. Hispanic online households contain five or more persons compared to only 18% for all online households. And in sharp contrast, only 2% of U.S. Hispanic surfers were in single-member households, versus 10% for the total online population.

While comScore's analysis discovered that U.S. Hispanic online users tend to have a lower household income than general U.S. users, compared to the total U.S. Hispanic population, Hispanic Internet users tend to live in higher income households.

Although the fast-growing Hispanic market has clearly attracted the attention of leading marketers, previously there has been no accurate view of how broadly those marketers would need to stretch online marketing spending to reach a critical mass of those Hispanics who prefer to speak Spanish at home. The comScore data reveals that approximately 51% of U.S. online Hispanics prefer to use English as their language of choice at home, with 21% preferring to use Spanish and 27% stating an equal use of English and Spanish.

'This new knowledge of the online Hispanic consumer provides compelling evidence of the opportunity inherent in reaching this prized group,' noted Richard L. Israel, comScore Networks vice president of Hispanic Marketing Solutions. 'Since Hispanic Web users tend to be younger and live in larger households, they are likely to be more comfortable with technology and exercise influence over other family members for purchases and other key decisions. And importantly, they can be efficiently reached through leading Web sites.'

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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