Socio-economic environment: United Kingdom

The UK has 58 million inhabitants or 246 inhabitants per square kilometre. The level of urbanisation is high: 89,5%.

UK has a GDP of 1.353 billion Euro or 23.300 Euro per inhabitant, which is average to European countries. Economically, UK has the opportunity to invest in stimulation of IST, on a National level, and especially also on an individual level.

The national UK ICT and Telecom industry is developed average, as is the penetration of PC's at home. The ISDN infrastructure in the UK is some below average. From a commercial and infrastructural perspective, the UK can compete to help the IST market develop.

Rates of (mobile) telephony are average in the UK, as is the penetration of PC's at home. In potential, the market can introduce IST services successfully on a lager scale.

The wealth of an individual elderly person is high in the UK. Continuous education by 54-64 year old people is high compared to other countries. Related to the average penetration of PC's this could imply high knowledge and potential high interest of elderly people in the current supply of IST services.