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We already know that smartphone use is growing, but which countries are taking it up the fastest is among the more revealing data in a survey released Tuesday.
South Korea leads the advanced countries with 95 per cent smartphone ownership, according to the survey, which was conducted last year in 27 countries. The remaining 5 per cent use a mobile phone not able to connect to the internet, making South Korea the only country in the survey with 100 per cent of its population owning a smartphone or mobile phone.
Second is Israel with 88 per cent of respondents owning a smartphone, the Netherlands with 87 and Sweden 86. Australia, the United States, Spain, Germany, Britain, France, Italy, Argentina, Japan and Canada follow, with smartphone ownership ranging from 81 per cent in the US to 66 per cent in Canada.
Hungary, Poland, Russia and Greece are lowest among the advanced economies, with a range of 64 per cent in Hungary to 59 per cent in Russia and Greece owning a smartphone.
The survey found that while mobile technology has spread rapidly - with more than 5 billion people now owning mobile devices, half of them smartphones - the growth hasn't been equal.
In emerging economies, South Africa and Brazil lead, each with 60 per cent owning a smartphone, according to the survey. The Philippines with 55, Mexico 52 and Tunisia 45 round out the top five. Last is India, where 24 per cent own a smartphone.
Pew Research conducted the survey of 30,000 adults in the middle of last year. (dpa)
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