Mexico City, Mexico - The number of internet users in Mexico soared 12.5 percent, compared to the previous year, to 49 million in 2013, the National Institute of Statistics and Geography, or INEGI, said last week.

Some 30.7 percent of Mexico's households are connected to the internet, up 20.6 percent from the 2012 survey, the statistics agency said. However, there are notable differences in internet access by region.

While the northern border states, the Federal District, and Quintana Roo have 44 percent of households, on average, connected to the internet, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Tlaxcala, Hidalgo, and Michoacan barely have 15.7 percent of households with the ability to go online.

Those in the 12-34 age group are the biggest users of the internet in Mexico, a country of 118 million. About 62.6 percent of people in this demographic segment are connected to the internet, with many of them using mobile devices to go online, the INEGI said.

The main uses of the internet are searching for information - 64.3 percent; sending e-mails and text messages - 42.1 percent; entertainment - 36.2 percent; doing schoolwork - 35.1 percent; and accessing social networks - 35.1 percent.

Only 1.7 percent of respondents in the April INEGI survey said they used the internet for online banking and 1.3 percent said they went on the web to do government business.

A total of 49.4 million people in Mexico use the internet, according to the survey.

The survey found that some 11.1 million households, or 35.8 percent of the total in Mexico, have computers - up 13.3 percent from last year's level - and just 25.8 percent of households have digital televisions. Sixty-nine percent still use analog TV sets.