76% of Europeans Now Shop Online : A Simple 2025 Guide to Who Buys the Most – and How to Stay Safe

76% of Europeans Now Shop Online : A Simple 2025 Guide to Who Buys the Most – and How to Stay Safe

Based on the European Commission’s Consumer Conditions Scoreboard 2025 · survey from November 2024

Buying things online is now normal in Europe. Across the EU, 76% of adults — about 8 in 10 — bought something online in the last year. But not every country is the same, and the place where people shop online the most is not always the safest. This guide explains, in simple words, who shops online the most in Europe and what every shopper should watch out for.

It is written for everyone: people who move to another EU country for work or study, students and teachers, and anyone who wants a clear, short read. All the numbers come from the European Commission’s Consumer Conditions Scoreboard 2025.

Part 1 — The big picture across Europe

Here are eight simple points about online shopping in the EU today.

1. More and more people shop online

Across the EU, the share of people who shop online went up from 71% in 2022 to 76% in 2024. Online sales are growing much faster than shops on the street. Online shopping is now a normal part of daily life.

2. People buy more from other countries

Buying from another EU country went up from 28% in 2018 to 35% in 2024. Buying from outside the EU went up from 18% to 27%. Huge numbers of small parcels now arrive in the EU — 4.6 billion in 2024, more than 12 million a day, almost double 2023. When you buy from far away, returns and safety can be harder, so check the seller first.

3. Shopping online brings more problems

Online shoppers have more problems than people who shop in shops. In 2024, 26% of online shoppers had a problem worth complaining about, against 16% for shop-only shoppers. The usual problems are late delivery, wrong or damaged goods, and slow answers to complaints.

4. You can get free help across borders

If you have a problem with a shop in another EU country, Iceland or Norway, the European Consumer Centres (ECC Net) help you for free. In 2024 they answered more than 135,000 questions, most about online shopping.

5. Watch out for fake reviews and fake discounts

Among people who shopped online in the last year, 66% saw fake reviews and 61% saw discounts that looked too good to be true. About 47% saw influencers who were paid to promote a product but did not say so. Be careful with “only today” offers and perfect reviews.

6. Online scams are common

More than 4 in 10 Europeans (45%) met an online scam in 2024. The most common were fake requests for money (23%) and “phishing” messages that try to steal your data or money (21%). The risk is very different by country — from 29% in Finland (the safest) to 85% in Austria (the highest).

7. Many people worry about privacy and ads

Almost all online shoppers (93%) worry about online ads. The biggest worry is companies taking personal data without asking (71%), then too many ads (67%) and ads you cannot avoid (63%). Only 6% have no worries. Check your cookie settings and use your GDPR rights to see or delete your data.

8. New EU rules are coming

The EU checked its main consumer laws in October 2024. They still work, but not well enough online. So the EU is preparing a new law — the Digital Fairness Act — to stop tricks like “dark patterns” (designs that push you to click). The good news: EU rules follow you across borders, and they are getting stronger.

Part 2 — Every country, from most to least online

This table shows the share of adults who shopped online in the last year. The EU average is 76%. Green means above the EU average, red means below.

Source: Consumer Conditions Scoreboard 2025, European Commission. “Compared to EU” shows the difference from the 76% average, in points.

1. Norway — 91%

91% of adults in Norway shop online (about 9 in 10). That is 15 points above the EU average of 76%. Norway is number one in Europe. Almost everyone shops online there. Because Norway is in the EEA, its shoppers get the same cross-border help as EU shoppers.

2. Sweden — 90%

90% of adults in Sweden shop online (about 9 in 10). That is 14 points above the EU average of 76%. Sweden is second in Europe, just behind Norway. Shopping online is part of normal life here. But people who shop a lot also meet more fake offers and ads.

3. Denmark — 89%

89% of adults in Denmark shop online (about 9 in 10). That is 13 points above the EU average of 76%. Denmark is in Europe’s top three. People here also trust products and know their rights well.

4. Czechia — 87%

87% of adults in Czechia shop online (about 9 in 10). That is 11 points above the EU average of 76%. Czechia leads Central Europe, together with Poland. Its market is very competitive, so prices are easy to compare. You do not need to be a rich country to shop online a lot.

4. Poland — 87%

87% of adults in Poland shop online (about 9 in 10). That is 11 points above the EU average of 76%. Poland is in Europe’s top five and has one of the biggest online markets. Home delivery and parcel lockers have grown fast.

6. Iceland — 85%

85% of adults in Iceland shop online (about 9 in 10). That is 9 points above the EU average of 76%. Iceland is small but shops online a lot. People often buy from abroad because some products are hard to find locally. Iceland is in the EEA, so it gets EU-style cross-border help.

7. Slovakia — 82%

82% of adults in Slovakia shop online (about 8 in 10). That is 6 points above the EU average of 76%. Slovakia is higher than most of Europe. Shoppers in Central Europe have caught up with the west.

7. Finland — 82%

82% of adults in Finland shop online (about 8 in 10). That is 6 points above the EU average of 76%. Finland is special. Many people shop online, and it is also the safest country: only 29% met an online scam, far below the EU’s 45%.

9. Estonia — 81%

81% of adults in Estonia shop online (about 8 in 10). That is 5 points above the EU average of 76%. Estonia is a digital leader. Its online ID makes buying and signing online easy. It is the highest of the three Baltic countries.

9. Netherlands — 81%

81% of adults in Netherlands shop online (about 8 in 10). That is 5 points above the EU average of 76%. Dutch people buy a lot, at home and from abroad, and delivery is fast. As everywhere, heavy use means more ads and more worries about privacy.

11. Italy — 79%

79% of adults in Italy shop online (about 8 in 10). That is 3 points above the EU average of 76%. Italy is the strongest big country in southern Europe. It used to be behind, but now it is above the EU average.

12. Hungary — 77%

77% of adults in Hungary shop online (about 8 in 10). That is 1 point above the EU average of 76%. Hungary is just above the EU average, like several countries in central and eastern Europe.

12. Lithuania — 77%

77% of adults in Lithuania shop online (about 8 in 10). That is 1 point above the EU average of 76%. Lithuania is the middle Baltic country. Strong mobile banking helps people feel safe buying online.

14. Belgium — 76%

76% of adults in Belgium shop online (about 8 in 10). That is the same as the EU average of 76%. Belgium sits exactly on the EU average. For the many people who move to Brussels for work, it is a very typical EU market.

14. Greece — 76%

76% of adults in Greece shop online (about 8 in 10). That is the same as the EU average of 76%. Greece has caught up with the EU. A few years ago it was behind.

14. Spain — 76%

76% of adults in Spain shop online (about 8 in 10). That is the same as the EU average of 76%. Spain is exactly on the EU average. As a big country, it is a good example of how Europe shops.

14. France — 76%

76% of adults in France shop online (about 8 in 10). That is the same as the EU average of 76%. France is exactly on the EU average. It is a huge market, but the share of online shoppers is just average.

14. Slovenia — 76%

76% of adults in Slovenia shop online (about 8 in 10). That is the same as the EU average of 76%. Slovenia sits right on the EU average and is steady across all the measures.

19. Austria — 74%

74% of adults in Austria shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 2 points below the EU average of 76%. Austria is a warning. Online shopping is just average, but 85% of people met an online scam — the highest in Europe and almost double the EU’s 45%.

20. Latvia — 73%

73% of adults in Latvia shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 3 points below the EU average of 76%. Latvia is a little below the EU average and the lowest of the three Baltic countries.

21. Luxembourg — 72%

72% of adults in Luxembourg shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 4 points below the EU average of 76%. Luxembourg is rich, but below average here. The reason is its small size: people buy a lot from France, Germany and Belgium.

21. Malta — 72%

72% of adults in Malta shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 4 points below the EU average of 76%. Malta is the smallest country. People rely a lot on shopping from abroad to find products they cannot get at home.

23. Bulgaria — 71%

71% of adults in Bulgaria shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 5 points below the EU average of 76%. Bulgaria is a little below the EU average, but it has been growing steadily.

24. Germany — 70%

70% of adults in Germany shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 6 points below the EU average of 76%. Germany is a surprise. It is Europe’s biggest economy, but the share of online shoppers is below the EU average. The total number of orders is huge, yet the share of people is not the highest.

25. Cyprus — 68%

68% of adults in Cyprus shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 8 points below the EU average of 76%. Cyprus is below the EU average. As an island, it often buys from abroad to find products that are not sold locally.

25. Romania — 68%

68% of adults in Romania shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 8 points below the EU average of 76%. Romania is below the EU average, so there is room to grow. Many people are online, but home delivery is still developing. Romanians have also become less happy with how complaints are handled, so good help and protection matter even more as online shopping grows.

27. Ireland — 67%

67% of adults in Ireland shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 9 points below the EU average of 76%. Ireland is a surprise. It speaks English and hosts many big tech firms, but the share of people who shop online is below the EU average.

28. Croatia — 66%

66% of adults in Croatia shop online (about 7 in 10). That is 10 points below the EU average of 76%. Croatia is one of the lower countries. As a newer EU member, its online market is still growing.

29. Portugal — 55%

55% of adults in Portugal shop online (just over half). That is 21 points below the EU average of 76%. Portugal is last in Europe. Just over half of people shop online — 36 points behind Norway. There is a lot of room to grow.

Where these numbers come from

This guide uses the Consumer Conditions Scoreboard 2025 from the European Commission. The main source is a survey by Ipsos in November 2024, with about 1,000 people in each country (500 in Luxembourg, Malta, Cyprus and Iceland). Other numbers come from Eurostat and the European Consumer Centres. The country ranking uses the share of adults who bought online in the last year. Country scam numbers are given only for Finland and Austria. The EU report can be reused under the CC-BY 4.0 licence.

Signature: InfoCons Consumer Protection – Communication Department