Almost three-quarters (72.5 per cent) of UK internet users aged 14 and over will make an online purchase this year, new figures have revealed.

Research by eMarketer has suggested that the number of people buying items through the web will rise by 0.2 per cent on 2008's figure.

And the analysis group predicted that the figure will continue to rise in the years to come, climbing to 75.7 per cent in 2013.

This is equivalent to 31.8 million people making online purchases – over half of the UK's population.

However, eMarketer also stated that the recession is likely to have an impact on online spending.

"For the first time ever, ecommerce activity in the UK is not supported by a buoyant economic climate," senior analyst Karin von Abrams explained.

She noted that consumers "at all levels" are opting to spend less and use more time to seek out good deals, adding lower prices would mean that more online purchases do not necessarily indicate a higher amount being spent.

Last month, price comparison website uSwitch.com found that 65 per cent of the population shop online for up to two hours per week.