Key Takeaways
- Online shoppers aged 25-34 reached 77.93% across the EU in 2025. That is more than double the 35.06% rate for adults aged 65-74.
- The senior shopping rate swings far more by country than the young-adult rate does. Netherlands ranks highest among EU countries for adults aged 65-74, at 71.15%. Bulgaria ranks lowest, at 8.79%.
- Germany ranks 5th in the EU for online shoppers aged 65-74, at 49.93%. Its overall rank across every age group is 6th, so Germany’s older shoppers are not a special case within the country’s own data.
- Countries with the lowest senior shopping rates also rank at the bottom for basic digital skills nationwide. Romania and Bulgaria rank at the bottom of both measures among EU countries.
- Only 33% of EU adults aged 65-74 had at least basic digital skills in 2025. That compares with roughly 75% among adults aged 16-24 and 25-34.
- The generational shopping gap comes from a cohort effect, not from aging itself. Today’s 65-74 year-olds reached adulthood before the internet existed, so they never needed the digital skills that younger generations picked up early.
Online Shoppers Aged 25-34 vs. 65-74 Across EU Countries
| Country | Online Shoppers (% of age group) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 25-34 | Ages 65-74 | |
| EU average (27 countries) | 77.93 | 35.06 |
| Netherlands | 92.38 | 71.15 |
| Denmark | 88.63 | 69.15 |
| Ireland | 92.67 | 68.78 |
| Sweden | 86.05 | 67.37 |
| Germany | 82.26 | 49.93 |
| France | 83.00 | 45.71 |
| Luxembourg | 79.36 | 43.41 |
| Belgium | 81.75 | 40.88 |
| Austria | 76.31 | 38.37 |
| Finland | 78.29 | 38.22 |
| Czechia | 90.66 | 34.33 |
| Slovakia | 79.70 | 33.54 |
| Estonia | 85.18 | 28.92 |
| Spain | 75.84 | 28.50 |
| Hungary | 68.90 | 27.26 |
| Slovenia | 69.66 | 24.88 |
| Malta | 78.40 | 21.92 |
| Italy | 58.48 | 21.45 |
| Latvia | 72.38 | 20.74 |
| Poland | 83.12 | 17.19 |
| Greece | 92.79 | 16.50 |
| Lithuania | 79.18 | 14.82 |
| Cyprus | 83.56 | 14.59 |
| Portugal | 73.59 | 14.49 |
| Croatia | 78.52 | 12.53 |
| Romania | 60.30 | 12.15 |
| Bulgaria | 53.39 | 8.79 |
Source: Eurostat
More than three in four EU adults aged 25-34 bought something online in 2025. That is 77.93% of their age group. Just over a third of adults aged 65-74 did the same. The gap looks like a story about getting older. It is actually a story about growing up in different eras.
Young Adults Shop Online at More Than Double the Rate of Seniors
Online shopping falls with every decade of age across the EU. The rate drops from 77.93% among adults aged 25-34 to 35.06% among adults aged 65-74. That reads like an aging effect. The age brackets in this data represent different generations surveyed at the same point in time. They are not the same individuals aging over the years.
Only 33% of EU adults aged 65-74 had at least basic digital skills in 2025. These are everyday tasks like sending an email, protecting personal data online, or knowing how to spot a scam. Adults aged 16-24 and 25-34 reached roughly 75%. Today’s 65-74 year-olds reached adulthood before the internet existed. They never needed the digital skills that younger generations picked up in school or at work. This is a cohort effect, not an aging effect.
Senior Online Shopping Rates Vary Far More by Country Than Youth Rates Do
The 25-34 age group shops online at broadly similar rates across the EU. That ranges from 53.39% in Bulgaria to 92.79% in Greece. The 65-74 age group shows a far wider spread. Netherlands ranks highest among EU countries. Its rate is 71.15%. Bulgaria ranks lowest among EU countries. Its rate is 8.79%. That is roughly an 8-to-1 gap between the two countries.
The country-level gap in senior shopping rates mirrors each country’s overall digital skills levels. Four EU countries have already crossed the EU’s 2030 target of 80% basic digital skills among adults aged 16 to 74:
- Netherlands: 84%
- Ireland: 83%
- Denmark: 81%
- Finland: 81%
Romania and Bulgaria rank lowest among EU countries on the same measure, at 32% and 38%.
Germany’s rate for adults aged 65-74 reaches 49.93%. It is the 5th-highest in the EU. That is close to Germany’s 6th-place rank when every age group is combined. Germany’s older adults are not lagging behind their country. They are keeping pace with everyone else in it.
The divide in this data is generational, not something built into aging itself. Today’s 65-74 year-olds grew up before online shopping existed as an option. Most never had a reason to build the digital skills that younger generations picked up by default. That gap is expected to narrow as today’s internet-native young adults become tomorrow’s seniors. It will not disappear entirely. New technology will likely keep creating fresh skills gaps for whichever generation is oldest at the time. That will still be true after today’s divide closes.
The 28-year-old ordering everything online today will one day be the one explaining it to someone younger.
More topics
- Which EU Country Has the Highest Cost of Living?
- Which Countries Do Foreigners in Germany Come From?
- Where Do People Arriving from Abroad Settle in Germany?
- Where Do Immigrants in Germany Come From?
- Which Country Owns Almost a Quarter of the EU’s Wealth?
- EU Household Expenditure on Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Treatable Mortality Rate Improvement Across EU Countries
- Apartment Rents Are Rising Faster Than House Rents in Germany
- Which EU Countries Had the Highest Inflation Rates?
- Largest Hospitals in Germany
- Average Working Hours in EU Countries
- Gender Pay Gap Across EU Countries
- Energy Consumption for Cooling Has Doubled in the EU
- The Best EU Countries to Retire In
- Most Prosperous EU Countries by Prosperity Index
