Data extracted in May 2025.
Planned article update: May 2026.
Highlights
People who used the internet on a daily basis, 2024
Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become an integral part of people’s everyday lives. A large proportion of the population of the European Union (EU) uses the internet to perform a variety of activities in their work, education, leisure, administration and other areas of their life.
In 2024, a high proportion of young people in the EU continued to use the internet for a range of activities that take up an increasing share of their daily lives.
A narrowing digital age gap
97% of young people in the EU use the internet daily
In 2024, 97% of people aged 16-29 years in the EU reported using the internet every day compared to 88% of the total population. While in 2015, 65% of the total population of the EU and 89% of 16-29-year-olds used the internet every day, this share has steadily increased during this period for all age groups (see Figure 1). However, not at the same rate: the age gap has been consistently narrowing during the past decade. In 2015 the difference between the share of young people using the internet daily and the share of the total population doing so was 24 percentage points (pp) (89% compared to 65%). By 2024 that gap was down to 9 pp. The internet has become part of the daily lives of Europeans of any age. The share of young people, aged 16-29 years, using the internet every day in the EU has been above 90% since 2017. In 2024, in all EU countries, this share was between 93% and 100%.
.png)
While young people reported remarkably high shares of daily internet use in every country, Figure 2 shows that there is a much greater variation among the total population. The digital age gap as reflected by daily use of internet was biggest in Croatia (20 pp), Greece (16 pp) and Poland, Portugal and Bulgaria (15 pp for all 3 countries). However, there is only a minor difference in the Netherlands and Ireland (both 1 pp difference) and Denmark (2 pp).
.png)
Source: Eurostat isoc_ci_ifp_fu
Youth online: a way of life
Biggest digital age gap seen in online social networking usage
Among the internet-based activities analysed, in 2024 participation in social networks was most widespread among young people, similar only to telephoning and video calls. Creating a user profile and posting messages or related activities was a widespread practice for 88% of 16- to 29-year-olds and 65% of the total population. Telephoning or video calls were widely used by 88% of young people and 73% of the total population.
In all EU countries, young people were much more likely to participate in social networking activities online than the total population. Figure 3 gives more detailed information. In 16 of the EU countries, at least 90% of young people used social networking sites, while in a further 10 countries between 80% and 89% of young people reported that they participate in these kind of networking activities.
In fact, among the activities analysed in this article, the difference between the proportion of young people and that of the total population engaged in online activities was largest for participation in online social networks. This pattern was observed at EU level, where the difference was 23 pp and within specific EU countries, with the gap reaching 29 pp in Poland, Greece and Czechia.
.png)
In comparison, for online telephoning and video calls the gap was 15 pp, 6 pp for the case of civic or political participation and there was only 1 pp difference for reading news online.
Discrepancies between EU countries regarding civic or political participation via the internet
In 2024, young people aged 16 to 29 years were, on average, more likely to express their opinion or take part in online consultations on civic or political issues via the internet (for example, urban planning, signing a petition) than the total population.
In 2024, civic or political participation online by young people was highest in Slovenia (51% of 16-29-year-olds expressed an opinion or participated online in an activity linked to civic or political life), followed by Greece (37%) and Italy (35%).
By contrast, the lowest shares were observed in Sweden (14%), Czechia (16%) and Belgium (19%). In almost all EU countries, except Ireland and Malta, young people were more likely to use the internet for civic or political participation purposes than the total population.
The largest differences were recorded in Slovenia (17 pp), Croatia (14 pp) Italy and Romania (10 pp for both). In Malta and Ireland, the participation of the total population was slightly higher than that of young people, 3 pp and 2 pp, respectively.
.png)
Source: Eurostat isoc_ci_ac_i
Online education declining from the 2021 peak
Online education courses have also become much more popular in recent years as a clear example of how the internet and the related digital skills influence our lives (see Figure 5). This is one of the activities that surged in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, this trend seems to be reversing. In 2021, 35% of young people participated in an online course while in 2024 this share decreased to 24%.
.png)
Source: Eurostat isoc_ci_ac_i
As seen in Figure 6, more than half (53%) of young people aged 16-29 years in Finland used the internet to take an educational course, followed by 41% in Greece and 39% in Spain. The lowest shares were 8% in Romania and 12% in Germany. On average in the EU, 24% of young people and 17% of the total population used the internet to take an online course.
In all EU countries, young people were more likely to follow an online course than the rest of the population, the gaps being as large as 21 pp in Greece and Finland, 17 pp in Czechia and 13 pp in Bulgaria. The shares were almost equal in Denmark and Luxembourg.
.png)
Source: Eurostat isoc_ci_ac_i
Digital skills
ICT skills are regarded as being essential to benefit from and contribute to internet-based activities. By the time young people in the EU leave compulsory education, most of them have regularly made use of computers and the internet for a variety of activities. In this context, it is important that young people become empowered and responsible digital users, equipped with appropriate digital skills.
Map 1 highlights the share of young people between the age of 16 and 29 reporting basic or above basic overall digital skills in 2023 (when the latest data is available). Country shares range from 94% in Finland, 92% in Malta, 90% in Czechia and the Netherlands, to 46% in Romania and 52% in Bulgaria. The EU average stands at 71%.
In 2023, at EU level there were more young women (73%) who reported having basic digital skills compared to young men (69%) see Figure 7. This trend can also be seen in most countries. The largest gap in favour of young women was registered in Croatia where 94% of them (compared with only 80% of young men) have at least basic digital skills.
The opposite can be seen in 5 other EU countries where the share of young males with at least basic digital skills is slightly higher than young women (Germany, Malta, Romania, Estonia and Slovakia).
.png)
Source: Eurostat isoc_sk_dskl_i21
Digital skills refer to 5 areas
- information and data literacy skills
- communication and collaboration skills
- content creation skills
- safety skills and problem-solving skills
To have basic digital skills, people must have performed at least one activity related to each area in the 3 months preceding the survey.
Some examples of the activities used to measure digital skills (further information on the types of activities related to each skill is available in the metadata file):
- Participating in social networks (communication and collaboration);
- Writing code in a programming language (digital content creation);
- Using the internet for civic or political participation (communication and collaboration);
- Using the internet for doing an online course (problem solving).
Conclusions: what future for young people in the digital world?
This article has shown that the use of ICT is widespread among young people and the total population alike and is, in some instances, reaching saturation. Young people make use of the internet more commonly than the total population as a whole and it seems likely that this pattern will continue.
The challenge for policymakers within this domain will be to ensure that the social and economic benefits from exploiting ICT are delivered in unison with the safe use of digital media, in particular for more vulnerable sections of society.
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
The data presented in this article come from Eurostat’s survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals, which is updated on an annual basis to ensure that the data collected remain relevant. While the questions and areas of interest for the surveys change each year to reflect modern ICT use, there is a core section of the survey which aims to provide stable and continued data collection for several key indicators thereby making analyses over time possible.
ICT surveys initially concentrated on access and internet connectivity issues, but their scope has subsequently been extended to cover a variety of subjects, including for example internet security or the use of social media and cloud services. The results of the survey can be studied according to a range of socioeconomic categories, including sex, age, educational differences or whether there are children or not in a household.
In most EU countries, the surveys are carried out in the second quarter of each year asking about activities in the first quarter of the same year; sometimes questions (for example, on e-commerce or e-government) are asked about activities during the previous 12 months.
ICT surveys cover households having at least one member in the age group 16-74 years. Households with children are those with at least one member aged less than 16 years.
Within this article, statistics that refer to the total population cover those aged 16-74 years while ‘young people’ is a collective term used to describe the subpopulation of people aged 16-29 years.
Context
A Europe fit for the digital age
Making Europe fit for the digital age is high on the European Commission’s agenda. So much so that it has declared this decade the Digital Decade. The Digital Decade policy programme sets out concrete targets for achieving the EU’s digital ambitions by 2030 – among them for 80% of EU citizens aged 16-74 to have at least basic digital skills. Progress towards these 2030 targets is monitored in the State of the Digital Decade report.
The EU’s vision for digital transformation also includes harnessing the opportunities that exist around AI and exploiting a wealth of potential information from big data. As set out by President von der Leyen in the AI Continent Action Plan in February 2025, the aim is to transform Europe’s strong traditional industries and its talent pool into powerful engines of AI innovation and acceleration.
Alongside encouraging businesses to develop these new technologies, the strategy also ensures that any new developments are made while ensuring the trust of European citizens (trustworthy technologies, fostering an open and democratic society, enabling a vibrant and sustainable economy, helping to combat climate change and promote a green transition).
Better internet for our children
As well as providing opportunities for work, study, leisure activities and social interaction, the internet contains hazards for all users. The basis of the European Commission’s Digital Decade Better Internet for kids strategy is to protect children and to make children and young people more aware of the risks involved with using the internet, while teaching digital literacy so that children may benefit fully and safely from being online. The strategy, which was adopted in May 2012, was based around four pillars: stimulate quality content online for young people; step up awareness and empowerment; create a safe environment for children online and fight against child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation.
Insafe, Inhope and safer internet
Insafe and Inhope are European networks, co-funded by the EU, made up of national Safer internet centres. The national centres implement awareness and educational campaigns, run helplines and work closely with young people to ensure an evidence-based, multi-stakeholder approach to creating a better internet.
On 6 February 2018, the EU launched a range of new initiatives under the heading of Safer internet day. They were designed to ensure that children, young people, parents, teachers and other EU citizens become empowered and responsible digital users. The web portal for this initiative Better internet for kids provides access to a wealth of information including an online course on child safety with teaching resources for topics such as fake news, cyberbullying and radicalisation.
Explore further
Database
- ICT usage in households and by individuals (isoc_i)
- Digital skills (isoc_sk)
<dedicatedsection>
</dedicatedsection>
<publications>
- Digital economy & society in the EU — a browse through our online world in figures — 2018 edition; online publication
</publications>
<methodology>
- ICT usage in households and by individuals (isoc_i) (ESMS metadata file — isoc_i)
</methodology>
<legislation>
- European Commission Communication (COM(2010) 245 final), of 19 May 2010 on a Digital Agenda for Europe
- European Commission Communication (COM(2020) 67 final), of 19 February 2020 Shaping Europe’s digital future
- Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (COM(2012) 196 final), of 2 May 2012 on a European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children
</legislation>
<externallinks>
- Better Internet for Kids
- Creating a better internet for kids
- Digital scoreboard — data and indicators
- Shaping Europe’s digital future
- The digital economy and society index (DESI)
</externallinks>
Thematic section
Publications
- Digital economy & society in the EU — a browse through our online world in figures — 2018 edition; online publication
Selected datasets
- ICT usage in households and by individuals (t_isoc_i)
- Digital skills (t_isoc_sk)
Methodology
- ICT usage in households and by individuals (isoc_i) (ESMS metadata file — isoc_i)
External links
Legislation
- European Commission Communication (COM(2010) 245 final), of 19 May 2010 on a Digital Agenda for Europe
- European Commission Communication (COM(2020) 67 final), of 19 February 2020 Shaping Europe’s digital future
- Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (COM(2012) 196 final), of 2 May 2012 on a European Strategy for a Better Internet for Children