61% of all internet users in the U.S. bank online. 35% of cell phone owners bank using their mobile phones. And both types of digital banking are on the rise, according to research from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
In 2010, only 46% of U.S. adults (58% of internet users) said they banked online. By 2011, 18% of cell phone owners said they had used their phone to check their balance or conduct some other similar business with their bank.
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The Demographics of Online Banking Users
Susannah Fox, Associate Director for the Pew Internet Project and author of the research, says young adults (ages 18-29) and whites represent the two groups seeing the most significant increases in uptake of traditional desktop-based online banking.
% Who Use Desktop-Based Online Banking |
|
---|---|
All internet users | 61% |
Men | 63% |
Women | 58% |
Race/Ethnicity | |
White | 63% |
Black | 48% |
Hispanic | 62% |
Age | |
18-29 | 67% |
30-49 | 65% |
50-64 | 55% |
65+ | 47% |
Education | |
No high school diploma | 30% |
High school grad | 47% |
Some college | 66% |
College+ | 75% |
Household Income | |
Less than $30,000 per year | 48% |
$30,000 to $49,999 | 57% |
$50,000 to $74,999 | 71% |
$75,000+ | 75% |
Urbanity | |
Urban | 62% |
Suburban | 66% |
Rural | 42% |
Mobile Banking Users: Who Are They?
Younger adults are also leading the mobile banking trend. However, in contrast with online banking trends, non-white cell phone owners are more likely than whites to engage in mobile banking.
% Who Bank On Their Mobile Phone |
|
---|---|
All mobile phone owners |
35% |
Men | 35% |
Women | 35% |
Race/Ethnicity | |
White | 32% |
Black | 39% |
Hispanic | 41% |
Age | |
18-29 | 54% |
30-49 | 40% |
50-64 | 25% |
65+ | 14% |
Education | |
High school or less | 27% |
Some college | 41% |
College+ | 41% |
Household Income | |
Less than $30,000 per year | 31% |
$30,000 to $49,999 | 32% |
$50,000 to $74,999 | 45% |
$75,000+ | 44% |
These findings dovetail with surveys conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs for the American Bankers Association (ABA). In 2012, 39% of U.S. adults said they prefer to bank online (up from 36% in 2010) and 6% said they prefer to bank on a mobile device (up from 3% in 2010). Adults between the ages of 18-34 years old are driving the growth in both online and mobile banking, according to the ABA.