Internet Coverage and Coverage Bias in Europe: Developments Across Countries and Over Time

To estimate the coverage error for web surveys in Europe over time, we analyzed data from the Eurobarometer. The Eurobarometer collects data for the European Community across member and applicant states. Since 2005, the Eurobarometer has contained a straightforward question on Internet access. We compared respondents with and without Internet access and estimated coverage bias for demographic variables (sex, age, length of education) and sociopolitical variables (left-right position on a political scale, life satisfaction). Countries in Europe do differ in Internet penetration and resulting coverage bias. Over time, Internet penetration dramatically increases and coverage bias decreases, but the rate of change differs across countries. In addition, the countries' development significantly affects the pace of these changes.