In the previous year, a notable 78 percent of internet users across the European Union engaged in at least one online transaction. Among the member states, Ireland led the pack, boasting an impressive figure of over 95 percent.
Meanwhile, Romania has witnessed the most remarkable escalation in online shopping over the past decade.
These insights derive from recent data divulged by Eurostat. Both the total number of internet users in the EU and the subset who partake in online shopping have surged again in 2025.
Millions of New Buyers
In the previous year, 94.5 percent of all European Union residents accessed the internet, a modest rise from 93.7 percent in 2024. Among these users, 77.8 percent made online purchases, representing an increase of over one percentage point from the preceding year (76.6 percent).
Although this growth may appear negligible, it is crucial to recognize that the overwhelming majority of Europeans already engage in online shopping, thereby limiting further expansion. Nevertheless, several million additional consumers have entered the online marketplace in the EU last year.
Leading Three Nations
E-commerce is most pervasive in Ireland, according to the newly released statistics: an astounding 95.3 percent of the nation’s internet users partake in online purchasing.
The Netherlands follows closely with an adoption rate of 94.4 percent, while Denmark ranks third within the EU at 91.2 percent. Notably, Norway exceeds these figures at 93.4 percent, despite not being an EU member.
Online shopping is most established in Ireland.
At the opposite end of the spectrum in the EU rankings are Romania (63.6 percent), Italy (61.7 percent), and Bulgaria (57.0 percent).
Earlier Eurostat reports indicate that Yugoiztochen, located in southeastern Bulgaria, has the lowest frequency of online shoppers within the EU, with slightly over one in five residents engaging in regular online purchases. The disparities in e-commerce adoption across various nations and regions within the Union are significant.
Remarkable Growth
Eurostat has also compiled a comparison of adoption rates from 2025 to 2015. The findings highlight that Romania has experienced the most substantial growth in the number of online shoppers among all EU countries.
A decade prior, merely 18 percent of internet users made purchases online; last year, this figure soared to nearly 64 percent, marking an increase of 46 percentage points.
E-commerce adoption has grown enormously in Romania.
The Czech Republic (an increase of 33 percentage points) and Ireland (up by 32 percentage points) have also reported considerable growth.
In North Macedonia, which is outside the EU, e-commerce has similarly flourished over the last ten years, with the share of online shoppers nearly quadrupling to reach 60.3 percent of internet users.
Source link: Ecommercenews.eu.
