Wicklow shoppers are Ireland’s biggest online spenders

The spend on websites within Ireland was also more than the €329 spent buying goods on international sites, according to the survey of over 1,000 consumers.

Female respondents spent “considerably more” on Irish websites, with an estimated annual spend of €534, compared with €351 spent by male shoppers, the study found.

Meanwhile, Wicklow consumers spent the most with websites in Ireland, with an average of €972 in purchases last year.

Carlow came in second place with a spend of €915, with Meath third, racking up €819 in spending. Shoppers in Monaghan spent €773 while those in Offaly averaged €634.

While over three quarters of consumers surveyed spent money on international websites last year, people from Carlow spent the most money on international sites, with an average of €678.

This was followed by Wicklow with €561 – Offaly (€508), Longford (€450) and Kildare (€425).

The most popular non-Irish destination to buy from was the UK (74%), while 28% of people bought from China and 16% turned to websites in the US.

Meanwhile, 28pc of people bought from China and 16pc of respondents bought from websites in the United States.

Almost two thirds of Irish people say they plan to shop online more this year and nearly half of those surveyed said they would do all their shopping online if they could. Those aged 25-34 are most in favour of this at 54%, in comparison to a quarter of people over the age of 55 who said they would do all their shopping online if they could.

“It’s great to see how Irish people are prioritising their online spending on Irish businesses,” said Maeve Dorman, senior vice president at PayPal.

“There is a real opportunity for online retailers to make a difference, but businesses need to have an e-commerce platform in place that can meet their customers’ needs, wherever they are – online, on the go, or in-store.”

The study was conducted online by Censuswide, which surveyed 1,001 respondents across Ireland in November.