1.1 People & businesses online

For many people in the EU, using the internet has become an increasingly important part of their daily lives: 84 % of the EU’s population were internet users, with mobile phones the most frequently used device to go online.

Just 3 % of businesses in the EU did not have an internet connection. Over recent years, there was a rapid uptake in their use of mobile internet connections.

1.2 Living online: what the internet is used for

People use the internet for different purposes; some of the most common online activities of internet users include finding information, reading online news and participating in social networks, which were particularly popular among younger internet users.

Many internet users in the EU search online for information and businesses' websites are often the first place people look for information about goods and services. As such, some businesses are increasing their internet presence, for example by having a website, using social media or targeted advertising.

1.3 Digital skills for a digital world

An increasing number of businesses in the EU rely on ICT for their daily operations and need ICT specialists to carry out a range of tasks. In the EU, these specialists are predominantly highly educated men who are aged 35 or over.

In 2017, around one fifth of all businesses in the EU employed ICT specialists. Almost 1 in 10 businesses recruited or tried to recruit ICT specialists during the course of the previous year, with 48 % of these reporting difficulties to fill such vacancies.