More than nine million people in the UK have never used the Internet, according to research findings published by the Office For National Statistics in August 2010.

Its investigation found that access to the Internet was linked heavily with salary: 69% of adults earning less than £10,400 per year had access, compared with 98% of those with salaries of more than £41,600.

“Use is closely linked with a number of socioeconomic and demographic indicators, with those less educated and on lower incomes less likely to access the web,” said ONS spokesman Mark Williams.

The study showed that 73% (19.2 million) of all households in the UK are able to access some form of Internet connection. The UK government aims to make access to 2Mb broadband services ubiquitous by 2015 as part of its Digital Britain scheme.