A new survey by the state-run Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) points to a rising trend in internet usage and prevalence of cellphone use in the country, which was once lagging behind other developing nations in communications.

Computer and internet usage of individuals aged between 16 and 74 is 54.9 and 61.2 percent respectively, TurkStat said, slightly up from last year's figures. In a country of more than 74 million people, eight out of ten households have internet access, the TurkStat survey found. Those without internet access mostly say they don't need it, while others cite having online access at work, school or at internet cafes as the reason they are not connected at home.

More than 73 percent of households have a broadband internet connection, TurkStat says. Statistics also show nearly 97 percent of households had cellphones or smartphones as of April 2016, while the rate of laptops per household surpassed those with desktop computers.

Smart TV use is also on the rise, up 24.6 percent from 20.9 percent in 2015.

The internet is mostly used for fun and connecting with friends, statistics show. Social media use dominates internet activities, with 82.4 percent of individuals with internet access using it for social media websites, to create new accounts and post messages in the first quarter of this year, while watching videos came second on the list of online activities. Users also use the internet to read news mostly, the statistics indicate.