Whether it is to search for information, connect to your bank account, consult your reimbursements for health expenses, declare your taxes or book a transport ticket, digital tools are essential to everyday life. If digitization makes life easier for most citizens on a daily basis, it complicates that of people in difficulty with digital tools.
In 2019, in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, around 660,000 people aged 15 or over are in a situation of illiteracy, or one in six people, according to a study published this Tuesday by Insee Paca. That is to say that she has no digital capacity or has not used the internet during the year.
This represents approximately 16% of the inhabitants of this age group, as in metropolitan France.
More vulnerable to viruses or scams
In addition to people in a situation of illiteracy, there are around 1.4 million inhabitants of the region (33% of people aged 15 or over) who have a poor command of digital tools. Their uses of the Internet and digital tools are not very diversified and they are more vulnerable to viruses or scams.
In total, almost half of the inhabitants of Paca (49%) are in a situation of illiteracy or low mastery of digital tools, i.e. a rate close to the average for metropolitan France (47%).
The oldest and the least qualified impacted
The daily use of the Internet, just like the strong mastery of digital tools, gradually decreases with age. Among those aged 15 to 29, 82% go online every day and 47% have a high level of proficiency, compared to 10% and less than 1% respectively of people aged 80 or over.
Illiteracy also primarily concerns the least educated.
The rate of illiteracy is higher in the hinterland than in the metropolises.
