Europe

There are an estimated 322.1 million internet users in Europe in 2009, according to eMarketer.

Internet users in Europe in 2008-2013:
- 2008: 303.8 million
- 2009: 322.1 million
- 2010: 338.2 million
- 2011: 351.9 million
- 2012: 364.3 million
- 2013: 374.9 million
(eMarketer, June 2009)

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Germany had the largest online audience (with 40 million visitors in April 2009) of the 17 European countries individually reported by comScore. Germany was followed by the UK (36.8 million visitors) and France (36.3 million visitors).

Total internet users by country, April 2009 (Total Europe, Age 15+ - Home & Work Locations):
1. Germany: 40,000,000 unique visitors
2. UK: 36,820,000
3. France: 36,348,000
4. Russia: 31,303,000
5. Italy: 21,230,000
6. Spain: 18,636,000
7. Turkey: 17,762,000
8. Netherlands: 12,009,000
9. Sweden: 5,671,000
10. Belgium: 5,470,000
11. Switzerland: 4,439,000
12. Austria: 4,403,000
13. Portugal: 3,774,000
14. Denmark: 3,429,000
15. Finland: 3,174,000
16. Norway: 3,007,000
17. Ireland: 1,749,000
(comScore, May 2009)

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There were an estimated 393,373,398 internet users in Europe (representing about 48.9% of the European population), according to statistics updated on 31st March 2009 by Internet World Stats. This represents an increase of 274.3% compared to 2000. 

European top 10 countries in number of internet users:

1. Germany: 55,221,183 (67.0% of the population in the country)
2. UK: 43,221,464 (70.9%)
3. France: 40,858,353 (65.7%)
4. Russia: 38,000,000 (27.0%)
5. Italy: 28,388,926 (48.8%)
6. Spain: 27,552,604 (70.5%)
7. Turkey: 26,500,000 (35.0%)
8. Poland: 20,020,362 (52.0%)
9. Netherlands: 13,791,800 (82.9%)
10. Romania: 7,430,000 (33.4%)

 (Internet World Stats, March 2009)

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Fleishman-Hillard International Communications, in conjunction with Harris Interactive, announced the results of the Digital Influence Index (DII) - a study designed to track and measure the influence and impact of the internet on consumer behaviour and decisions in the UK, Germany, and France.

Key findings include the following:

• Across all three countries addressed by the study, the internet has roughly double the influence of the second strongest medium - television - and roughly 8 times the influence of traditional printed media. This shift in consumer influence indicates a need and an opportunity for companies to reprioritise the mix of communications channels they use to reach their customers.

• Consumers use the internet in different ways to make different decisions. For example, consumers are more likely to seek opinions of others through social media and product-rating sites when making choices that have a great deal of personal impact (e.g. healthcare options or major electronics purchases). But they do use company-controlled sources when making transactional decisions on commoditised items, such as utilities or airline tickets.

• While consumers see the clear benefits of the internet on their lives, they continue to have concerns about internet safety and the trustworthiness of some online information. In the UK, for example, 66% of online consumers say the internet helps them make better decisions, but just 28% trust the information companies provide on the internet.

Although most survey results were consistent across all three countries, use of the internet shows distinct national differences. Germany leads the three countries in Web research, for example, while UK consumers are the most likely to have created an online profile site on a social networking page.

The research shows that the internet stands out as the most important communications medium in the lives of European consumers today, according to Fleishman-Hillard. But there's a mismatch between the growing impact of the digital channel and the proportion of marketing and advertising resources organizations allocate to it, relative to other media. This study provides insights across a wide range of consumer behaviours and decisions that will help communicators be more strategic in their marketing mix. (Harris Interactive, June 2008)

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The level of internet usage in different countries in Europe in September 2007 has been estimated by eMarketer as below:

• Netherlands: 82% of the population
• Sweden: 73%
• Denmark: 72%
• Norway: 72%
• Finland: 66%
• Switzerland: 61%
• UK: 60%
• Belgium: 57%
• Austria: 55%
• France: 53%
• Germany: 47%
• Ireland: 45%
• Portugal: 43%
• Spain: 42%
• Italy: 35%
• Russia: 12%
• Total Europe: 37%

(eMarketer, February 2008)

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250 million Europeans now use the internet on a regular basis, according to the EU's ICT Progress Report. 80% of European web users have broadband connections and 60% of public services within the European Union are now fully available online, the report reveals. The research also found that two thirds of schools and half of doctors make use of fast internet connections in Europe. However, 40% of Europeans do not use the internet at all and the Commission aims to encourage the use of new online technologies with the publication of a Guide to EU Users' Digital Rights and Obligations later this year. (IMRG, April 2008)

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Europe is a diverse region comprising 48 countries, 27 of which are in the European Union. The region contains some of the world's internet usage leaders, such as the Netherlands and Scandinavia, where penetration is around 80% of the population. In contrast, countries such as Greece, Russia, Poland and Italy lag well behind the European average. But most of these nations are enjoying a surge of internet growth. Within five years, only Russia will have less than half of its population online.

In terms of sheer size, Germany is the largest internet market in Europe, followed by Russia and the UK, according to eMarketer's recent estimates.

Internet users and penetration in selected countries in Europe by 2012 (2007):

• Denmark: 4.6 million or 84.4% of the population (up from 4.1 million in 2007)
• Finland: 4.4 million or 82.3% of the population (3.8 million)
• France: 45.1 million or 68.9% of the population (33.3 million)
• Germany: 57.9 million or 70.4% of the population (48.1 million)
• Italy: 29.6 million or 51.0% of the population (24.2 million)
• Netherlands: 14.3 million or 84.6% of the population (13.3 million)
• Norway: 4.0 million or 84.3% of the population (3.7 million)
• Poland: 20.7 million or 53.9% of the population (15.0 million)
• Russia: 59.0 million or 42.7% of the population (35.0 million)
• Spain: 25.5 million or 62.8% of the population (19.4 million)
• Sweden: 7.5 million or 82.2% of the population (7.0 million)
• UK: 42.8 million or 69.5% of the population (36.8 million)

Marketer estimates the number of internet users and penetration level in Europe for the period between 2007 and 2012 as follows:

• 2007: 325.0 million
• 2008: 347.5 million
• 2009: 368.7 million
• 2010: 387.8 million
• 2011: 405.1 million
• 2012: 420.5 million

The correlation between internet usage and age is strong throughout the world, and Europe is no exception. Data from Eurostat shows that 80% to 90% of 16-to-24-year-olds are weekly internet users in most countries in Europe. Some of the notable exceptions to this high penetration rate are in the Czech Republic, Greece, Ireland, and Italy, which are all below the regional average.

But it is in the 55-to-74-year-old group where weekly internet usage drops off markedly. Eurostat figures indicate that, overall, just 19% of European women in this age bracket were weekly internet users during the first quarter of 2007, compared to 31% of European men. Since this data was gathered, more senior Europeans have seen the benefits of internet use and moving online. But the correlation between internet usage and gender remains starkest in the 55 and older group. Estonia, and to a lesser extent Latvia, are the only two countries in Europe where there is a higher percentage of women regularly using the internet than men. (eMarketer, February 2008)

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The European region recorded its largest ever internet audience in September 2007 with a 5% year over year growth, reaching 226.7 million unique visitors age 15 or older, according to comScore. Russia had the fastest growing online audience this period, increasing 23% to 14.6 million unique visitors, followed by Spain, which grew 18% to 14.5 million unique visitors, and Ireland, which grew 16% to 1.5 million.

Fastest growing European internet audiences, September 2007 among those aged 15 and older, Home & Work Locations:

• Russia: 14,633,000 total unique visitors (+23% compared to September 2006)
• Spain: 14,490,000 (+18%)
• Ireland: 1,453,000 (+16%)
• France: 27,260,000 (+14%)
• Belgium: 4,924,000 (+11%)
• Switzerland: 3,860,000 (+11%)
• Denmark: 3,208,000 (+10%)
• Sweden: 5,482,000 (+9%)
• UK: 32,179,000 (+9%)
• Austria: 3,834,000 (+8%)
• Finland: 2,889,000 (+7%)
• Norway: 2,698,000 (+7%)
• Germany: 33,174,000 (+3%)
• Netherlands: 11,109,000 (+3%)
• Italy: 17,638,000 (+1%)
• Portugal: 3,785,000 (+0%)

The country with the largest online audience was Germany with 33.2 million unique visitors, followed closely by the UK with 32.2 million. Together, they represented 29% of the total European online audience. Europe's third largest online country, France, was also its fourth fastest growing, having enjoyed a 14% gain and reaching 27.3 million unique visitors in September.

Internet adoption was highest in the Netherlands, where 82% of the country's population age 15 or older was online in September. After the Netherlands, adoption rates were highest in the Nordic region, where the internet was accessed by 73% of the total population of Sweden, 72% of Denmark and Norway, and 66% of the Finnish population.

European internet usage, September 2007 (among those aged 15 and older, home & work locations):

• Netherlands: 82%
• Sweden: 73%
• Denmark: 72%
• Norway: 72%
• Finland: 66%
• Switzerland: 61%
• United Kingdom: 60%
• Belgium: 57%
• Austria: 55%
• France: 53%
• Germany: 47%
• Ireland: 45%
• Portugal: 43%
• Spain: 42%
• Italy: 35%
• Russia: 12%

The Nordic region also produced some of the most active online audiences in all of Europe. On average, internet users in Sweden viewed more pages than any other European country - 3,844 pages per visitor. The country also spent the second longest average period of time on the internet in September at 30.1 hours per visitor. Finland's online audience viewed the second most number of pages, averaging 3,266 pages per visitor.

The UK internet audience spent the most time online at an average of 33.0 hours for the month. It also viewed the highest number of pages outside of the Nordic region, averaging 3,252 pages per visitor per month, slightly ahead of the Netherlands with 3,051. (comScore, November 2007)

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In-Sites provided an overview of the European internet Landscape as per September 2007 in its eScape Reports. Number of internet user per country:

• More than 70% of internet users: Sweden: 6.89 million (75.6%); Netherlands: 12.06 million (73.3%)
• 60 to 70% of internet users: Denmark: 3.76 million (69.2%); Switzerland: 5.10 million (67.8%); UK: 37.60 million (62.3%); Germany: 50.43 million (61.1%)
• 50 to 60% of internet users: France: 32.93 million (53.7%); Italy: 31.48 million (52.9%)
• 40 to 50% of internet users: Belgium: 5.10 million (48.5%); Slovakia: 2.50 million (46.5%): Spain: 19.77 million (43.9%)
• 30 to 40% of internet users: Hungary: 3.05 million (30.4%)
• Less than 30% of internet users: Poland: 11.40 million (29.9%); Romania: 4.94 million (23.4%)

Socio-demographics profile of European internet users - September 2007:

• Few changes were observed compared to data of November 2006
• 50/50 on gender, except upcoming internet markets
• Still relatively young internet market population, especially in Eastern Europe
• About 6 out of 10 internet users have an active professional life

Gender:

• Western Europe: 50%/50%
• Southern Europe: 50%/50%
• Eastern Europe: 56% male / 44% female

Age:

• Western Europe: 68% are less than 45 years old / 32% are older
• Southern Europe: 69% are less than 45 years old / 31% are older
• Eastern Europe: 77% are less than 45 years old / 24% are older

Professional situation:

• Western Europe: 59% are active / 23% are non-active / 18% are student
• Southern Europe: 57% are active / 22% are non-active / 22% are student
• Eastern Europe: 62% are active / 18% non-active / 21% are student

Western Europeans have the most extended internet experience (71% are online since before 2000 compare to 54% among Southern Europe and 41% in Eastern Europe).

Western and Southern Europeans tend to use the internet more often for personal purposes only than Eastern Europeans.

General news is the most popular online content type. Eastern European countries are overall interested in a broader content rage. Insurance is least often visited online, while Economic news and training are the most popular.

Compared to November 2006, watching video images, downloading RSS feeds and reading weblogs became more popular on a European level. Using route planners and chatting became somewhat less popular. Popular online activities in Europe 2007:

• E-mailing: 96% (97% in 2006)
• Listening music: 68% (68%)
• Using route planners: 65% (70%)
• Watching video images: 63% (58%)
• Online banking: 59% (57%)
• Instant messaging without webcam: 58% (58%)
• Chatting: 51% (57%)
• Download video images: 46% (43%)
• Sending e-cards: 45% (47%)
• Watching TV programmes: 45% (44%)
• Read weblogs: 43% (37%)
• Downloading RSS feeds: 37% (32%)
• Games via internet single player: 36% (39%)
• Instant messaging with webcam: 34% (34%)
• Downloading music legally: 34% (32%)
• VoIP without webcam: 27% (26%)
• Games via internet multiplayer: 25% (26%)
• Downloading podcasts: 22% (20%)
• Uploading video clips to a website so others can watch them: 21% (21%)
• VoIP with webcam: 20% (19%)
• Downloading vodcasts: 19% (16%)
• Downloading music legally: 19% (22%)
• Online gambling: 16% (17%)
• Make weblogs: 14% (13%)
• Buying and selling shares: 10% (11%)

E-mailing is the most frequent online activity in all countries of this survey. Online banking scores clearly less good in Romania, while watching TV programs is least popular in Spain. In the UK and Germany, downloading music legally is a top 10 activity. Compared to other countries, online gambling scores well in Germany and Sweden.

Music downloading frequency (both legally and illegally) is lower In Western Europe. 1 out of 3 Eastern European internet users download music legally on a monthly basis. Eastern Europeans download video images most often.

East and Southern Europeans are more active instant messagers. Southern Europeans have a slightly higher fraction of bloggers than Western and Eastern Europe. (eScape Reports by In-Site, September 2007)

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Taken as a whole, consumers from Western European nations such as France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom are among the world's keenest users of the web. But there are still differences in the rates of internet usage and broadband penetration from country to country.

Of the five major Western European nations, the United Kingdom has embraced the internet most avidly - it was the first of these countries to see more than half its population online, according to eMarketer's Western Europe: internet Users and Usage.

French, Germans and Italians were slower to respond to the internet opportunity, all three have reached 50% penetration and even Spain is growing now. In fact, in Spain the online population is actually growing more rapidly than in France, Germany, Italy and the UK in percentage terms, although from a much smaller base. eMarketer estimates that this discrepancy will persist through 2011. As other major European countries pass 60% online penetration, Spain will struggle to reach this milestone. Meanwhile, the UK will race ahead to reach almost 75% online penetration.

However, as the web becomes a commonplace tool for young people, students and the working population, one group of Europeans is in danger of missing the internet boat, according to eMarketer indicating that with few exceptions, the growing ranks of citizens over 50 are not well represented online.

While 73% of individuals in the EU-25 countries ages 16 to 24 and more than half (54%) of those ages 25 to 54 used the internet regularly in 2006, only 20% of those ages 55 to 74 did, according to Eurostat.

The EIAA "Silver Surfers Report," released in July 2007, indicates that Europeans age 55 and above who go online access a wide spectrum of information and services.

Types of websites used by senior internet users in select countries in Western Europe, September 2007 (% of respondents):

• Search engines: 83%
• Email: 83%
• News: 61%
• Travel: 60%
• Holidays: 55%
• Banking and finance: 53%
• Local information: 47%
• Price comparison: 38%
• Health: 37%
• Sports: 35%
• Technology: 35%
• Music: 28%
• Property: 26%
• Auction: 25%
• Automotive: 23%
• Social networks: 18%

Across the continent, consumers are doing more online and buying more than ever before, according to eMarketer. But European business and national leaders must do more to ensure that consumers over 50 also benefit from the internet revolution. (eMarketer, October 2007)

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comScore released the first comprehensive review of European internet activity. The comScore World Metrix study reveals that on an average day in April 2007, there were 122 million Europeans age 15 or older online, versus 114 million in the US. The average European accessed the internet from either a home or a work computer an average of 16.5 days in the month and spent a total of 24 hours viewing 2,662 web pages.

The comScore study compares activity across the 16 countries where comScore tracks internet usage with panel-based measurement and highlights the differences in internet development by country. This harmonized view of European online visitation reveals the following:

• The Netherlands and Scandinavian countries have the highest percentage of their populations using the internet, ranging from 68% to 83%.

• Germany has the largest online population: 32.6 million people age 15 and older.

• The UK has the most active online population, with the highest average number of daily visitors (21.8 million), the highest usage days per month (21 per user), and the highest average time spent per month per user (34.4 hours).

• European users average 16.5 usage days per month. Countries that have usage days below the European average are Russia (11.4 average usage days), Austria (12.0), Italy (12.9), Ireland (13.0), Portugal (13.4), Norway (14.7), Denmark (14.7), Switzerland (15.1), Belgium (15.5) and Finland (16.4).

• The average Swedish user views 4,019 pages per month and views more pages than any other country - 51% above the European average of 2,662 pages per month.

Pan-European and US breakdown of online audiences, age 15+, April 2007 (average daily users):

• Europe: 122, 774,000
• Austria: 1,485,000
• Belgium: 2,447,000
• Denmark: 1,493,000
• Finland: 1,544,000
• France: 14,531,000
• Germany: 18,359,000
• Ireland: 591,000
• Italy: 7,783,000
• Netherlands: 7,350,000
• Norway: 1,288,000
• Portugal: 1,731,000
• Russia: 5,048,000
• Spain: 8,828,000
• Sweden: 2,895,000
• Switzerland: 1,846,000
• UK: 21,767,000
• US: 114,472,000

(comScore, June 2007)

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In the first quarter of 2006, 47% of individuals in the EU25 used the internet regularly (i.e. at least once a week) whether at home or at any other location, according to Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Communities. This release presents part of the results of surveys on the use of Information and Communication Technologies by households, individuals and enterprises in the EU25 Member States, Norway and Iceland.

While nearly ¾ of individuals in the EU25 aged 16 to 24 (73%), and more than half of those aged 25 to 54 (54%), used the internet regularly, only 1/5 of those aged 55 to 74 (20%) did so.

Total European internet usage by individuals in 1st quarter 2006 (using the internet at least once a week):

• Iceland: 84% / 16-24 years old (96%) / 25-54 years old (90%) / 55-74 years old (59%)
• Sweden: 80% / 16-24 years old (94%) / 25-54 years old (89%) / 55-74 years old (56%)
• Denmark: 78% / 16-24 years old (94%) / 25-54 years old (86%) / 55-74 years old (56%)
• Norway: 77% / 16-24 years old (97%) / 25-54 years old (84%) / 55-74 years old (48%)
• Netherlands: 76% / 16-24 years old (96%) / 25-54 years old (86%) / 55-74 years old (46%)
• Finland: 71% / 16-24 years old (94%) / 25-54 years old (82%) / 55-74 years old (38%)
• Luxembourg: 65% / 16-24 years old (89%) / 25-54 years old (71%) / 55-74 years old (37%)
• Germany: 59% / 16-24 years old (83%) / 25-54 years old (69%) / 55-74 years old (30%)
• Belgium: 58% / 16-24 years old (82%) / 25-54 years old (67%) / 55-74 years old (27%)
• UK: 57% / 16-24 years old (72%) / 25-54 years old (66%) / 55-74 years old (33%)
• Estonia: 56% / 16-24 years old (90%) / 25-54 years old (64%)
• Austria: 55% / 16-24 years old (80%) / 25-54 years old (63%) / 55-74 years old (24%)
• Slovenia: 47% / 16-24 years old (81%) / 25-54 years old (54%) / 55-74 years old (12%)
• EU: 47% / 16-24 years old (73%) / 25-54 years old (54%) / 55-74 years old (20%)
• Latvia: 46% / 16-24 years old (86%) / 25-54 years old (50%) / 55-74 years old (12%)
• Ireland: 44% / 16-24 years old (59%) / 25-54 years old (48%) / 55-74 years old (17%)
• Slovakia: 43% / 16-24 years old (72%) / 25-54 years old (47%) / 55-74 years old (9%)
• Hungary: 42% / 16-24 years old (74%) / 25-54 years old (47%) / 55-74 years old (14%)
• Spain: 39% / 16-24 years old (70%) / 25-54 years old (45%) / 55-74 years old (10%)
• France: 39% / 16-24 years old (71%) / 25-54 years old (47%)
• Lithuania: 38% / 16-24 years old (77%) / 25-54 years old (39%) / 55-74 years old (7%)
• Poland: 34% / 16-24 years old (71%) / 25-54 years old (35%) / 55-74 years old (7%)
• Italy: 31% / 16-24 years old (55%) / 25-54 years old (37%) / 55-74 years old (9%)
• Portugal: 31% / 16-24 years old (68%) / 25-54 years old (34%) / 55-74 years old (6%)
• Cyprus: 29% / 16-24 years old (55%) / 25-54 years old (31%) / 55-74 years old (7%)
• Greece: 23% / 16-24 years old (47%) / 25-54 years old (27%) / 55-74 years old (4%)

(Eurostat, November 2006)