The Netherlands ranks first in Europe in terms of internet usage, a new study has found, ahead of Iceland and Ireland.
The study, undertaken by SEO agency Digital Climax, utilised Eurostat data to compare the proportions of individuals involved in six specific categories of online activities across European countries. These categories encompassed internet usage rates, frequency of internet use, engagement in e-commerce, online finance activities, online communication, and household internet access.
From this, an overall ‘Online Activity Score’ out of ten was calculated for each European country based on these metrics.
The Netherlands ranked first with an Online Activity Score of 9.01 out of 10, with 99.27% of its population using the internet, 84.2% shopping online and 84.7% using the internet to make calls.
Best of the rest
Iceland, in second, scored 8.82 out of 10, scoring highest in terms of the percentage of individuals using the internet for e-commerce (84.35%). In third, Ireland, with a score of 8.74 out of 10, scored 98.99% in terms of the percentage of households with internet access.
Norway, with a score of 8.45, and the UK, scoring 8.42, completed the top five. Other countries in the top ten include Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Luxembourg, and Finland.
At the other end of the spectrum, Bosnia and Herzegovina had an Online Activity Score of 1.44, the lowest ranked of all European countries. The top 20 can be found below.
Internet penetration
“With so many essential services now available online, it is no surprise to see such high percentages for internet access across most European countries,” commented Axl Van Steenacker, founder of Digital Climax. “Many of these top-ranking countries surpass the EU average of 90% for Fast Broadband (NGA) coverage, with the Netherlands reporting 99% coverage, which makes it easier for their populations to get online and access these platforms compared to lower-ranking countries on the list.
“The EU also has the Open Internet Access Regulation in place, which grants the right to access online content and services without any discrimination or interference. It would be good to see these accessibility figures continue to increase in Europe over the next few years, so users can take advantage of this worldwide connectivity and use services like online banking and global communication.”
Top 20 European countries ranked by percentage of their population online
| Rank | Countries | % of individuals using internet | Online Activity Score /10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Netherlands | 99.27 | 9.01 |
| 2. | Iceland | 99.00 | 8.82 |
| 3. | Ireland | 97.53 | 8.74 |
| 4. | Norway | 99.81 | 8.45 |
| 5. | United Kingdom | 99.55 | 8.42 |
| 6. | Switzerland | 99.32 | 7.84 |
| 7. | Denmark | 98.99 | 7.68 |
| 8. | Sweden | 98.07 | 7.14 |
| 9. | Luxembourg | 99.40 | 7.08 |
| 10. | Finland | 97.83 | 7.06 |
| 11. | Kosovo | 99.00 | 6.94 |
| 12. | Estonia | 93.69 | 6.32 |
| 13. | Spain | 95.96 | 6.18 |
| 14. | Latvia | 92.81 | 6.04 |
| 15. | Cyprus | 91.37 | 5.84 |
| 16. | Malta | 92.44 | 5.72 |
| 17. | Belgium | 95.26 | 5.70 |
| 18. | Austria | 95.72 | 5.53 |
| 19. | Czechia | 92.75 | 5.30 |
| 20. | Hungary | 91.80 | 5.23 |
