Digital Consumer Profile: Socioeconomic and Regional Determinants of E-Commerce Participation in Ecuador

Abstract

This paper examines the socioeconomic characteristics associated with e-commerce use in a dollarized economy in Latin America—Ecuador—using a large, nationally representative household survey. Using a survey-weighted logistic model that accounts for the survey’s complex sampling design, it was found that education, income, frequency of internet use, and social media use are the strongest and most consistent predictors of e-commerce participation, while rural residence is associated with a lower likelihood of use. Participation also varies by region, and access to computers or tablets is positively associated with e-commerce use. Notably, gender, ethnicity, and age—commonly emphasized in the prior literature—are not statistically significant predictors once sampling weights are incorporated. This reflects reduced precision under the survey design rather than point estimates shifting toward no association, and it should not be read as evidence that these characteristics are unimportant. Documenting how survey weighting changes which associations reach statistical significance is itself a methodological contribution of this study. These results highlight the central role of digital and educational infrastructure over demographic targeting for enhancing e-commerce participation, and provide guidelines for effective, evidence-based marketing and public policy strategies that consider Ecuador’s social and economic reality.