The time people in Germany spend online has noticeably decreased after years of growth. This is shown by the Postbank Digital Study 2026. While average internet usage had risen from just over 40 hours to more than 70 hours per week since 2015, the current survey now shows a decline. Germans now spend an average of 67.4 hours per week online. The previous year, this figure was 71.8 hours.
Applications Are Used Differently
The decline is also noticeable in several regularly used online services. Messaging services remain the most frequently used applications, but their share fell from 81 to 77 percent. The drop was even more pronounced for YouTube. While the video platform was part of the weekly internet routine for 53 percent last year, it is now only 45 percent.
Social networks also lost significance. The share fell from 71 to 64 percent. The targeted search for information developed differently, with the value rising from 71 to 74 percent. Online banking usage remained almost unchanged. Fifty-one percent of respondents regularly check their account transactions online.
How the Study Was Conducted
The results are based on responses from 3,050 people in Germany. The survey was conducted in April and May 2026. To realistically reflect the population structure, the data was weighted by federal state, age, and gender.
The 2022 census by the Federal Statistical Office served as the basis. This is intended to balance differences between the composition of respondents and the actual population. This prevents individual age groups, genders, or regions from influencing the overall result more than their share of the population would suggest.
The study also shows clear differences between age groups. People under 40 spend an average of 80.3 hours per week online. For those over 40, the figure is 61.7 hours.
In addition to longer usage times, younger people also access more digital services. Streaming services, YouTube, social networks, and AI applications are significantly more widespread in this age group. Wearables, gaming consoles, and voice assistants are also used more frequently to access the internet.
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The Smartphone Remains the Most Important Device
Regardless of age, the smartphone remains the most important access to the internet. A total of 86 percent of respondents use their phones for this purpose. Laptops and notebooks follow at a significant distance with 66 percent. Tablets reach 46 percent, and desktop PCs 45 percent.
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In terms of usage time, the smartphone is also clearly ahead. On average, respondents spend 23.9 hours per week online via mobile. Laptops and notebooks account for 11.1 hours, and desktop PCs 9.8 hours. Thus, the smartphone particularly shapes the private digital everyday life.
Many Want to Reduce Their Usage
Although three-quarters of Germans are satisfied with their private internet usage, 17 percent want to reduce it within the next twelve months. This desire is particularly pronounced among 18- to 39-year-olds. In this age group, almost one in three respondents wants to spend less time online. Among those aged 40 and over, this applies to only 11 percent.
The main reasons cited by respondents are the desire for more control over their own time. Forty-one percent want to use the freed-up time for other activities. Thirty-eight percent want to be less distracted. For 36 percent, possible health effects play a role. Other reasons mentioned include more concentration, higher productivity, and personal meetings.
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At the same time, interest in new digital offerings remains high. Those who want to expand their internet usage mainly cite artificial intelligence as a reason. Fifty-one percent of this group want to use AI offerings like ChatGPT from OpenAI, Perplexity, or Gemini by Google more frequently.
The use of such services is already widespread. Thirty-eight percent of respondents use AI applications for targeted information searches daily or several times a week. Among those under 40, this figure is even 58 percent.