Online shopping in the EU continues to expand, according to the latest annual survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals. In 2024, 77% of internet users bought or ordered goods or services for personal use online in the previous 12 months, increasing from 59% in 2014, marking a 17 percentage point (pp) rise. The highest percentages of internet users who made online purchases in 2024 were in Ireland (96%), the Netherlands (94%) and Denmark (91%). Conversely, Bulgaria had the lowest share at 57%, followed by Italy and Romania, both at 60%. From 2014 to 2024, significant growth was…
Author: Eurostat
In 2023, there were 7.7 million female scientists and engineers in the EU, 381 200 more than in 2022. Across all economic activities present in the statistical classification of economic activities in the EU (NACE rev. 2), women represented 41.0% of the scientists and engineers workforce. This share was higher in services related activities at 45.6%. In manufacturing, women represented 22.4% of scientists and engineers, while in other activities that share was 23.9%. Source dataset: hrst_st_nsecsex2 Among the EU countries, the proportion of female scientists and engineers varied widely in 2023, with the highest shares registered in Denmark (50.8%), Spain…
In 2024, 60.0% of enterprises in the EU with 10 or more employees made their staff aware of their obligations in ICT security-related issues, indicating a 1.7 percentage points (pp) growth from 58.3% in 2022. Czechia had the highest share of enterprises making their employees aware of their ICT security obligations with 77.5%. This country was followed by Finland (74.8%) and Denmark (70.1%). At the other end of the scale were enterprises in Greece (31.7%), Croatia (39.0%) and Latvia (47.5%). 19 EU countries recorded an increased share of enterprises improving awareness of their employees’ ICT security obligations compared with 2022.…
In 2023, real GDP increased in 154 EU regions compared with 2022, while decreases were registered in 85 regions. The region with the largest growth in real GDP was Malta (a single region at this level of detail), with a 6.7% increase, followed by Severen Tsentralen in Bulgaria (+5.8%), Illes Balears and Canarias in Spain, (+5.7% and +5.1%, respectively) and Hovedstaden in Denmark (+5.0%). Unlike in 2022, when the highest fall in real GDP was 3%, in 2023, there was a 14.1% fall in Vorarlberg in Austria and a 12.9% fall in Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. These were followed by Groningen in…
In 2023, personal transfers outflows from the EU (money sent by EU resident households to non-resident households) reached a record level of €50.9 billion, an 8% increase compared with 2022 (€47.0 billion). The largest share of these outflows went to Asia (excluding the Near and Middle East), accounting for 21% (€10.7 billion) of the total outflows from the EU, followed very closely by non-EU European countries also with 21% (€10.6 billion) and North Africa with 20% (€9.8 billion). This information is based on Eurostat data on personal transfers and compensation of employees. The article highlights key findings from the more…
In 2024, 33% of EU internet users reported that they had done an online course or used online learning material in the 3 months prior to the survey. This is a 3 percentage point (pp) increase compared with 2023 (30%). Ireland recorded the highest share of internet users engaged in online learning (61%), followed by the Netherlands (59%) and Finland (53%). By contrast, online education was less prevalent in Romania (10%), Cyprus (11%) and Bulgaria (17%). Source dataset: isoc_ci_ac_i When considering specific online learning methods, 18% of internet users did an online course in 2024, which was most prevalent in…
The most common form of contingent liabilities in the EU countries is government guarantees on liabilities, and occasionally on assets of third parties. In 2020 and 2021, government guarantees, provided in the EU, increased substantially following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the level of government guarantees was further influenced by the energy crisis following Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In 2023, there was a decrease of guarantees in most of the EU countries. In 2023, the highest overall rate of government guarantees was recorded in the Netherlands (30.4% of GDP), Finland (17.9%), Italy (15.3%), Germany (14.6%)…
In 2022, EU exports of spacecraft and space transport services totalled €1 340 million after experiencing a 36% drop compared with 2021 (€2 108 million). In 2022, 84% of all exports, or €1 129 million, went to countries outside the EU. The EU exports peaked in 2012, at €3 273 million, and declined until they fell to €1 913 million in 2016. A sharp recovery occurred in 2017, with exports rising to €2 961 million, before significant drops occurred, notably in 2020, when exports fell to €1 562 million due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Source dataset: data…
In 2024, 13.5% of enterprises in the EU with 10 or more employees used artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to conduct their business, indicating a 5.5 percentage points (pp) growth from 8.0% in 2023. The highest shares of these enterprises were in Denmark (27.6%), Sweden (25.1%) and Belgium (24.7%). At the other end were Romania (3.1%), Poland (5.9%) and Bulgaria (6.5%). All EU countries recorded increases in the share of enterprises using AI technologies compared with 2023, with Sweden experiencing the highest increase of 14.7 pp, followed by Denmark (+12.4 pp) and Belgium (+10.9 pp). By contrast, modest increases were recorded…
The general government financial accounts published by Eurostat cover transactions in financial assets and liabilities as well as the stock of financial assets and liabilities. ‘Other accounts receivable’ are assets representing the timing difference between the recording of most transactions in the non-financial accounts and the corresponding payment. This asset category is recorded in the financial accounts, for example, when governments make advances on future expenditure or accrue revenue while the corresponding payment occurs at a later stage. In the third quarter of 2024, net transactions in other accounts receivable amounted to -€26 billion in the EU, compared to -€8…