Dependence on Wi-Fi is now so high that 4 out of 10 people would prioritise it over sex, chocolate, or alcohol, a new study has found.

The study, carried out by Wi-Fi connectivity provider iPass and which examined  1,700 professionals across America and Europe, found that 40.2 per cent of people now view WiFi as their number one "human luxury or necessity," ranking above sex at 36.6 per cent and alcohol at 14.3 per cent.

"Wi-Fi is not only the most popular method of internet connectivity, it has surpassed many other human luxuries and necessities," said Pat Hume, Chief Commercial Officer at iPass.

"The idea that Wi-Fi would be considered more important than sex, alcohol and chocolate would have been unthinkable just a few years ago. For some time now, the internet has appeared on the bottom line of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, almost as a longstanding joke in geek culture. Recently, the idea has gone mainstream," he continued.