TAIPEI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- More than 97 percent of people in Taiwan owned a smartphone in 2018, while about 18.3 million people were using the Internet, according to the latest data posted on the statistical agency's website.

The number of Internet users last year was 920,000 more than the previous year, according to a survey report on digital ownership by individuals and households on the island.

The report said about 86.5 percent of people aged 12 or above in Taiwan regularly use the Internet, up 4.2 percentage points from that seen in 2017.

Further analysis by gender revealed that the ratio of Internet use among males aged 12 or above stood at 88.2 percent, 3.5 percentage points higher than females.

Those aged between 12 and 49 recorded an Internet use ratio over 97 percent, but only 42.8 percent of people aged above 65 were using the Internet, according to the survey.