Urban-rural Europe - digital society

Data extracted: May 2024.

Planned article update: September 2026.

Highlights

Digital society and digital technologies bring with them new ways to learn, entertain, work and explore. This includes new freedoms and rights that give people living in the European Union (EU) the opportunity to reach out beyond physical communities, geographical locations, and social positions. However, there are also challenges associated with this digital transformation. For example, the EU seeks to increase its strategic autonomy in technology, while developing rules and technologies to protect citizens from counterfeit products, cybertheft, and disinformation.

Digital technologies were crucial to maintaining economic and social life through the COVID-19 crisis and it is likely they will be a key differentiating factor of economies that successfully transition to a sustainable, social and economic model.

This article forms part of Eurostat’s twin publications on Rural Europe and Urban Europe.

Which devices do people in the EU use to access the internet and which activities do they carry out on the internet?
(%, 16–74 years, 2023)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_dev_i) and (isoc_ci_ac_i)

Households connected to the internet

The number of households in the EU that are connected to the internet has risen steadily in recent years to a point where the market is close to saturation. These statistics cover internet access at home by all members of the household regardless of the device (for example, a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, mobile/smartphone or various smart devices). By 2023, more than 9 out of every 10 households in the EU had internet access (93.1%); this figure was somewhat higher for households in cities (94.9%), while slightly lower shares were recorded for households in towns and suburbs (92.7%) and in rural areas (90.5%).

In 2013, fixed broadband was the prevalent technology for connecting to the internet across the EU, while mobile broadband was in its relative infancy. With the introduction of 4th and 5th generation (4G and 5G) technologies for broadband cellular networks, a growing proportion of EU households have started to make use of mobile broadband to connect to the internet.

In 2013, the share of EU households with internet access was 9.7 percentage points higher among households in cities than it was among households in rural areas. During the last decade, this gap has closed at a steady pace such that the difference was 4.4 points in 2023.

Figure 1: Households with internet access, by degree of urbanisation, EU, 2013–23
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_in_h)

An analysis by degree of urbanisation reveals that in the vast majority of EU countries (21 out of 27) the highest share of households with internet access in 2023 was recorded by households in cities; see Figure 2. The share of households in cities that had internet access peaked in Luxembourg (99.9%), the Netherlands (99.0%) and Finland (98.4%). By contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Lithuania (92.4%), Cyprus (92.2%) and Greece (91.1%).

The share of households with internet access was usually lower among households in rural areas than it was for households in cities. There were a couple of exceptions in 2023: in Malta (96.6%; low reliability) and Ireland (94.3%), households in rural areas recorded the highest shares of internet access. The share of households in rural areas with internet access peaked at 98.3% in Luxembourg and the Netherlands. By contrast, there were 10 EU countries where fewer than 90.0% of households in rural areas had internet access. Among these 10 countries, the lowest shares were recorded in Portugal (79.9%) and Greece (78.5%).

Figure 2: Households with internet access, by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_in_h)

Individuals – frequency of internet use

The focus of the information presented in the following sections changes from the household to individuals. More specifically, data are presented for people aged 16–74 years; as such, children below the age of 16 aren’t covered in the statistics presented.

In 2023, some 85.9% of people aged 16–74 years accessed the internet on a daily basis. This share was 26.4 percentage points higher than it had been in 2013 (59.5%), with annual increases being recorded every year during the last decade for which data are available. Figure 3 presents the same time series with an analysis by degree of urbanisation. The share of people aged 16–74 years in the EU who accessed the internet on a daily basis was higher for people living in cities than it was for those living in towns and suburbs or in rural areas; this pattern was repeated each year throughout the period from 2013 to 2023. However, the difference between the shares recorded for people living in cities and people living in rural areas narrowed gradually: having stood at 15.3 points in 2013, it had fallen to 9.2 points by 2023.

Figure 3: Individuals (16–74 years) with daily internet access, by degree of urbanisation, EU, 2013–23
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_ifp_fu)

As noted above, a higher proportion of people aged 16–74 years living in cities (compared with those living in towns and suburbs or in rural areas) accessed the internet on a daily basis. This pattern was repeated in the vast majority of EU countries in 2023; see Figure 4. The only exceptions were

Belgium, Ireland and Cyprus, where the highest share of daily internet access was recorded for people living in towns and suburbs
Malta (low reliability), where the highest share of daily internet access was recorded for people living in rural areas.

In some EU countries, a relatively low share of people aged 16–74 years living in rural areas accessed the internet on a daily basis. In 2023, this pattern was particularly apparent in Poland, Portugal, Croatia, Greece and Bulgaria, with shares of less than three quarters; the lowest proportion was observed in Bulgaria (65.5%).

Figure 4: Individuals (16–74 years) with daily internet access, by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_ifp_fu)

Individuals – devices used to access the internet

A vast array of devices can be web-enabled once equipped with appropriate connectivity. While most people use a mobile phone / smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer to access the internet, there is an ever-growing range of alternative devices, including, among others, smart TVs, smart speakers, games consoles, e-book readers and smart watches.

More than four fifths (86.3%) of people aged 16–74 years in the EU used a mobile phone or smartphone to access the internet in 2023. This share was somewhat higher for people living in cities (89.3%) than it was for those living in towns and suburbs (86.0%) or in rural areas (82.0%). Figure 5 shows this pattern was repeated across a range of different devices, with people living in cites having a higher propensity (than those living in towns and suburbs or in rural areas) to make use of each device to access the internet.

As noted above, it was generally the case that people aged 16–74 years living in cities had a higher propensity to make use of a range of devices to access the internet. There were however some exceptions across the EU countries.

The highest share of people using a mobile phone / smartphone to access the internet in Ireland and Cyprus was recorded for those living in towns and suburbs, while in Malta (low reliability) the highest share was recorded for people living in rural areas.
The highest share of people using a laptop to access the internet in Belgium and the Netherlands was recorded for those living in towns and suburbs, while in Ireland and Malta (low reliability) the highest share was recorded for people living in rural areas.
A somewhat different pattern was observed for people using a tablet to access the internet. In general a lower proportion of people made use of this type of device compared with a mobile phone / smartphone or a laptop. While the highest share of people using a tablet to access the internet was also generally recorded for people living in cities, there was often little difference between the shares based on an observation by degree of urbanisation.
- The highest share of people using a tablet to access the internet in Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Slovakia and Sweden was recorded for those living in towns and suburbs.
- The highest share of people using a tablet to access the internet in Ireland, Cyprus, Luxembourg, Malta (low reliability) and Finland was recorded for those living in rural areas.

Figure 5: Individuals (16–74 years) using the internet on various devices, by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_dev_i)

Individuals – internet activities

As a higher proportion of people living in cities (compared with those living in towns and suburbs or in rural areas) used a variety of different devices to access the internet, it is perhaps unsurprising to find that the share of people using the internet for various activities was generally also higher among city-dwellers.

In 2023, the EU’s digital divide between the share of people aged 16–74 years living in cities and the share of people living in rural areas that used the internet for various activities

was 11.0 percentage points for sending/receiving e-mails (83.3% of people living in cities and 72.4% of those living in rural areas)
was 10.6 points for reading online news (69.6% of people living in cities and 59.0% of those living in rural areas)
was also 10.6 points for internet banking (68.9% of people living in cities and 58.3% of those living in rural areas).

While it was generally the case that people living in cities had a higher propensity to use the internet for all 3 of the activities mentioned above, there were some exceptions across the EU countries in 2023.

For sending/receiving e-mails
- the highest shares in Belgium and Ireland were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs.
For reading online news
- the highest share in Belgium was recorded for people living in towns and suburbs
- the highest share in Malta (low reliability) was recorded for people living in rural areas.
For internet banking
- the highest shares in Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Cyprus and Latvia were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs.

In 2023, the Netherlands recorded the highest share (97.2%) of people aged 16–74 years living in cities who used the internet to send/receive e-mails; shares of at least 95.0% were also recorded for people living in the cities of Denmark and Finland. By contrast, approximately a third of all people living in rural areas of Bulgaria and Romania used the internet to send/receive e-mails; the 3rd lowest share among people living in rural areas was observed in Greece (55.9%).

Finland was the only EU country to report that more than 9 out of 10 people aged 16–74 years living in cities made use of the internet for reading online news in 2023 (92.8%); relatively high shares were also recorded in Hungary (89.9%), Denmark (89.2%) and Czechia (88.4%). Less than half of the people living in rural areas of Romania, France, Italy and Bulgaria used the internet to read online news.

A particularly high share of people aged 16–74 years living in the cities of Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands made use of the internet for online banking; in 2023, they each recorded shares that were greater than 95.0%, while the 4th highest share was observed in Estonia (85.7%). At the other end of the range, less than 15.0% of people living in the rural areas of Romania and Bulgaria made use of the internet for online banking.

Figure 6: Individuals (16–74 years) using the internet for various activities, by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ci_ac_i)

Individuals’ level of internet skills

Digital skills are increasingly important both for the job market and to participate in other aspects of life. EU policymakers seek to build a more inclusive digital society by equipping people with the necessary skills and capacities. To measure progress in this domain, a composite indicator has been created, based on a range of activities related to internet or software use in 5 specific areas: information and data literacy skills (for example, searching online); communication and collaboration skills (for example, communication via e-mail); digital content creation skills (for example, writing programming code); safety skills (for example, protecting personal data); and problem-solving skills (for example, installing software). The EU has set a benchmark target whereby at least 80% of people aged 16–74 years should have at least basic digital skills by 2030.

Figure 7 shows an analysis for the 5 specific areas that are used to compile the composite indicator. In 2023, almost 9 out of 10 (89.3%) of the EU population aged 16–74 years had at least basic digital communication and collaboration skills. A higher share was recorded for people living in cities (92.2%), while those living in rural areas had a lower share (85.1%). This pattern – a higher share of people living in cities having at least basic digital skills – was repeated for all 5 areas covered by the composite indicator, with the largest digital divide recorded for content creation skills, where there was a 13.8 percentage point gap in the share of people with at least basic skills between those living in cities (74.4%) and those living in rural areas (60.6%).

Figure 7: Individuals (16–74 years) with at least basic digital skills, by degree of urbanisation, EU, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_sk_dskl_i21)

In 2023, more than half (55.6%) of the EU population aged 16–74 years reported at least basic overall digital skills, whereby all 5 component indicators were at least at a basic level. As such, the latest share stood 24.4 percentage points below the benchmark target for 2030 (of at least 80%). The share of people aged 16–74 years who had at least basic overall digital skills was highest among those living in cities (62.6%), while lower shares were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs (53.3%) and in rural areas (47.5%).

Across 24 of the 27 EU countries, the highest share of people in 2023 with at least basic overall digital skills was registered for those living in cities. There were 3 exceptions: in Belgium, Ireland and Cyprus, a higher share of people living in towns and suburbs reported at least basic overall digital skills. The digital divide was particularly large in Cyprus, as more than half (53.5%) of people living in towns and suburbs had at least basic digital skills, compared with lower shares for people living in rural areas (49.0%) and in cities (47.5%).

Close to 9 out of 10 (89.0%) of the people aged 16–74 years living in the cities of Finland had at least basic overall digital skills in 2023. This share was considerably higher than in any of the other EU countries. The Netherlands (83.7%), Denmark (76.6%) and Czechia (75.1%) were the only others to report that more than 3 out of 4 people living in cities had at least basic overall digital skills. In 2023, less than half of the population aged 16–74 years living in the cities of Romania (38.2%), Bulgaria (46.3%) and Cyprus (47.5%) had at least basic overall digital skills.

In 2023, there were 8 EU countries where less than half of the population aged 16–74 years living in towns and suburbs had at least basic overall digital skills; the lowest share was in Romania (25.0%).
In 2023, there were 13 EU countries where less than half of the population aged 16–74 years living in rural areas had at least basic overall digital skills; the lowest share was in Bulgaria (20.9%).

Figure 8 also provides information about the share of people aged 16–74 years with at least basic skills for 3 specific areas: information and data literacy skills, communication and collaboration skills, and digital content creation skills. Once again, it was generally the case that a higher proportion of people living in cities (compared with those living in towns and suburbs or in rural areas) had at least basic skills, although there were some exceptions.

For information and data literacy skills
- the highest shares in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland and Cyprus were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs
- the highest share in Malta (low reliability) was recorded for people living in rural areas.
For communication and collaboration skills
- the highest shares in Belgium, Ireland, Cyprus and Latvia were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs
- the highest shares in Luxembourg and Malta (low reliability) were recorded for people living in rural areas.
For digital content creation skills
- the highest shares in Belgium, Ireland and Slovenia were recorded for people living in towns and suburbs.

Note: at least basic overall digital skills concerns individuals with at least basic skills for information and data literacy skills, communication and collaboration skills, digital content creation skills, safety skills and problem-solving skills.

Figure 8: Individuals (16–74 years) with at least basic digital skills, by type of skill and degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_sk_dskl_i21)

Internet purchases by individuals

E-commerce makes it easier for consumers to compare different retail offers. It has the potential to reconfigure the geography of consumption, for example, extending consumer choice and reducing prices in remote areas of the EU, while removing the burden of travelling considerable distances to shop for specific items.

The vast majority of retail sales in the EU continue to take place in shops. However, the ability to shop 24 hours a day, coupled with the ease of making electronic payments, is gradually leading to a digital transformation of the EU’s retail space, disrupting many aspects of shopping behaviour; this development was reinforced during the COVID-19 crisis.

An individual’s choice as to whether or not to use e-commerce may in part be related to trust, low levels of internet access/use, or relatively high numbers of people not possessing bank accounts and/or credit cards (thereby making it more difficult to pay online). In 2023, close to three fifths (58.1%) of the EU’s population aged 16–74 years reported that they had bought/ordered goods or services over the internet during the 3 months prior to the survey. This share was higher for people living in cities (61.9%), although a majority of the people living in towns and suburbs (56.6%) and in rural areas (53.9%) also reported that they had made their last online purchase during the 3 months prior to the survey; see Figure 9.

For the vast majority of EU countries, the highest share of people aged 16–74 years reporting that they had made an online purchase during the 3 months prior to the survey was registered among those living in cities. Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Malta (low reliability) were exceptions: in 2023, their highest shares were recorded among people living in rural areas. In Ireland, the highest share was recorded for people living in towns and suburbs.

In 2023, a relatively high share of the population aged 16–74 years in Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and Sweden had made an online purchase during the 3 months prior to the survey, irrespective of where they lived (in cities, towns and suburbs, or rural areas). By contrast, a relatively low share of the population in Bulgaria and Romania had made an online purchase during the 3 months prior to the survey, other than for a somewhat higher share for people living in the cities of Romania.

In 2023, around a sixth (16.7%) of the EU’s population aged 16–74 years had never made an online purchase; see Figure 9. This share was relatively uniform when observed by degree of urbanisation, ranging from 15.3% for people living in cities, through 17.2% for people living in rural areas, up to 18.0% for people living in towns and suburbs.

In a majority of EU countries (16 out of 27 in 2023), the highest share of people aged 16–74 years who had never made an online purchase was recorded among people living in rural areas. There were a number of exceptions to this pattern

in Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Slovakia and Sweden, those living in towns and suburbs recorded the highest share of people never having made an online purchase
in Belgium and Croatia, those living in cities recorded the highest share of people never having made an online purchase.

In Cyprus, irrespective of where people lived, a relatively high proportion of the population aged 16–74 years had never made an online purchase in 2023; a peak of 33.8% was recorded for those living in rural areas. High shares – upwards of 30.0% – were also observed in

Italy and Romania for people living in towns and suburbs and in rural areas
Bulgaria for people living in rural areas.

Figure 9: Individuals (16–74 years) making/not making online purchases, by degree of urbanisation, 2023
(%)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ec_ib20)

Source data for tables and graphs

Digital society: tables and figures

Data sources

For reference year 2021, the implementation of a new legal basis for the collection of statistics on the digital society (the framework regulation for the production of European statistics on persons and households (Integrated European Social Statistics – IESS)) resulted in a considerable level shift from 1 year to the next in relation to data provided by some EU countries. As a result, data for Germany and Ireland are flagged with a break in series in the database.

More generally, time series data may also have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This led some EU and EFTA countries to change their data collection procedures in 2020 and/or 2021 to make use of computer assisted web interviews instead of paper and pen personal interviews, which may also have led to breaks in series.

Context

In March 2021, the European Commission presented a vision for the digital transformation of Europe by 2030. This vision seeks to make the EU digitally sovereign in an open and interconnected world, through the pursuit of digital policies that empower people and businesses to develop a human-oriented, sustainable and more prosperous digital future. EU rights and values are at the heart of this development, which is why the Commission proposed to develop a framework of digital principles, such as access to high-quality connectivity, to sufficient digital skills, to public services, to fair and non-discriminatory online services, and more generally to ensure that the same rights that apply offline can be fully exercised online.

The Communication 2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade (COM(2021) 118 final) highlights the programme through to 2030, setting out 4 clear goals

a digitally skilled population and highly skilled digital professionals
secure and sustainable digital infrastructures
the digital transformation of businesses
the digitalisation of public services.

To meet these challenges and support this transformation, the EU has provided resources dedicated to digital-related reforms and investments, as detailed in national recovery and resilience plans.

In May 2022, the European Commission adopted A Digital Decade for children and youth: the new European strategy for a better internet for kids ((COM)2022 212 final) to improve age-appropriate digital services and to ensure that every child is protected, empowered and respected online. The strategy set out a vision based on 3 key pillars

safe digital experiences – protecting children from harmful and illegal online content, while improving their well-being through a safe, age-appropriate digital environment
digital empowerment – so that children acquire the necessary skills and competences to make informed choices and express themselves in the online environment safely and responsibly
active participation – respecting children by giving them a say in the digital environment, with more child-led activities to foster innovative and creative safe digital experiences.

Explore further

Database

Thematic section

Publications

Statistical publications

Digitalisation in Europe – 2024 edition
Eurostat regional yearbook – 2024 edition
Urban Europe – statistics on cities, towns and suburbs – 2016 edition

Methodological publications

Applying the Degree of Urbanisation – A methodological manual to define cities, towns and rural areas for international comparisons – 2021 edition

Methodology

External links

Urban Agenda for the EU

European Commission – Directorate-General Agriculture and rural development

European Commission – Directorate-General Regional and Urban Policy

European Committee of the Regions

European Committee of the Regions – political priorities 2020–25

European networks

United Nations

Legislation

Statistical legislation

Legislation on the use of ICT in households and by individuals
Regulation (EU) 2017/2391 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 amending Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 as regards the territorial typologies (Tercet)

Policy legislation

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 522/2014 of 11 March 2014 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1301/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to the detailed rules concerning the principles for the selection and management of innovative actions in the area of sustainable urban development to be supported by the European Regional Development Fund
Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)
Regulation (EU) No 1310/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down certain transitional provisions on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD)

Visualisation

Regions and cities illustrated (RCI) – Degree of urbanisation