The steady increase in the ownership and range of consumer durables has been evident since data was first collected by the GHS three decades ago. This has continued up to 2001 with a few exceptions. Colour, black and white televisions and washing machines were available in most households by the early 90s. In 2001, nearly all households had central heating (92%) and a telephone (98%).

Increases in ownership of consumer durables mainly related to new technologies. The following were recorded in 2001:

• satellite, cable and digital television receivers increased from 29% in 1998 to 40% in 2000, but this increase has slowed considerably to 42% of households in 2001;

• CD players – increased from 69% in 1998 to 77% in 2000, and continued to increase to 80% in 2001;

• dishwasher – increased from 4% in 1981 to 28% in 2001;
• microwaves – increased from 55% in 1991 to 85% in 2001;

• home computers – increased from 34% in 1998 to 45% in 2000. This increase continued with 50% of households in 2001 having a computer.

In 2000, the GHS asked questions for the first time about access to the Internet at home.

• In 2000, a third of all households had access to the Internet at home. Nearly all of those households (31% of all households) accessed the Internet from their home computer. In 2001, the number of households with access to the internet had grown to 40%, with 37% of all households having access from their home computer. Access to the internet from other sources had also grown with 6% of households in 2001 having other types of access to the internet compared with 2% in 2000.

• In 2000, the GHS identified fixed and mobile phones separately for the first time, and found 58% of households had a least one mobile phone. In 2001, the number of households with a mobile phone had increased to 70%. The increase in the number of households with mobile phones has not impacted on the number of households with fixed phones. The number of households with any type of telephone remained unchanged between 2000 and 2001 at 98%, as did the number of households with fixed phones (93%).