According to new research by Forrester, surfers in Southern Europe (France, Italy, Spain etc.) are far more likely to be under the age of 35 than in the UK.

The age disparity is most stark in Southern Europe where the population under the age of 34 across a variety of economic classes make regular use of Internet technologies.

According to Forrester, online consumers under the age of 34 outnumber senior citizens (those above the age of 55) by a factor of five in France and Spain compared to a factor of two in the United Kingdom. And, just one in ten Spanish seniors are online compared to one in three in the UK, Forrester said.

The research also said 21.9 million people, or 45% of the adult Italian population, accesses the Internet from work or home at least once a month. In France, 17.9 million, or 41% of the adult French population, are active online users while 9.2 million, or 29%, of the adult Spanish population surf once each month.

This compares with 60% of the UK's adult population and 59% of the Germany's adult population, Forrester said.