Data extracted in March 2026
Planned article update: April 2027
Highlights
In 2025, a third of people surveyed in the EU had used generative AI tools in the previous 3 months; the highest rates were in Denmark (48%), Estonia and Malta (both 47%), and Finland (46%).
Younger people reported using generative AI more than older people; those aged 16 to 24 were the biggest users of AI (64%), while only 7% of respondents aged 65 to 74 had used it.
The most common reason for not using generative AI was that people simply didn’t feel the need to (64%).
Use of generative AI tools by individuals, 2025
How people use digital technologies is constantly evolving. New apps and services are appearing quickly, shaping how we communicate, find information and get things done online. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the biggest shifts happening right now. People are increasingly turning to generative AI tools which can create text, images or other content in response to user prompts.
Businesses have already been experimenting with AI for some time (see Use of Artificial Intelligence in Enterprises). But individual use picked up rapidly in late 2022 when generative AI tools became better known and more widely available.
This article looks at recent statistical data on how individuals use generative AI across Europe and how this varies between countries and across different population groups. The statistics come from the EU survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals.
Who uses generative AI?
In 2025, 33% of people aged 16-74 living in the EU had used generative AI tools in the previous 3 months. By the time of the survey, the early adoption phase was over, as generative AI had been available for more than 2 years. The survey data shows that for many people, generative AI has quickly become part of everyday life, despite being relatively new.
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ai_iaiu)
As Map 1 shows, AI use varied between countries. In the EU, Denmark (48%), Estonia and Malta (both 47%), and Finland (46%) had the highest proportion of individuals using generative AI. Outside the EU, Norway (56%) and Switzerland (47%) also had a high number of adopters. Meanwhile, the lowest usage rates in the EU were in Romania (18%), Italy (20%) and Bulgaria (23%).
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ai_iaiu)
There are large variations across the population in terms of who uses generative AI. As shown in Figure 1, age and educational background are key predictors of AI use. This mirrors broader patterns relating to digital skills and technology use.
Younger people reported using generative AI more than older people. People aged 16 to 24 were the biggest users of AI (64%), and the share of users decreased steadily with age, standing at only 7% for people aged 65 to 74.
Education is also a key factor. People with a high level of formal education were most likely to use generative AI tools (49%), followed by those with a medium level of education (26%). For people with little or no formal education, the figure drops to 22%.
According to the survey, gender is less of a predictor of generative AI use, but men do use it slightly more than women (35% vs 30%).
What do people use generative AI for?
There are big differences between age groups when it comes to people's reasons for using generative AI tools. Private use is the most common purpose given overall, but AI is also used for professional and education-related purposes.
Using generative AI for formal education purposes (school, university) is most common among younger people aged 16 to 24 (62%); these are also more likely to still be in school or university. Across all the main working-age groups (covering ages 25 to 64), over 50% of people use generative AI for work-related purposes (see Figure 2).
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ai_iaiu)
What is stopping people from using AI?
While many people have started using generative AI tools, most people still haven't, and the reasons vary. When asked why they hadn't used these tools, most non-users said the main reason was that they simply didn't feel the need to (64%). Other less common reasons included not being sure how to use the tools (14%), not being aware of them (9%) and privacy and security concerns (7%). In other words, the main obstacle is that people don't see the tools as relevant (see Figure 3).
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ai_iaiuxr)
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
The data presented here come from EU survey on the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in households and by individuals. The survey questions and areas of focus are updated annually to keep the data relevant and reflect modern ICT use; questions on AI were first included in 2025. However, there is also a core section of the survey used to collect stable and comparable data for several key indicators.
In most EU countries, the surveys are carried out in the second quarter of each year asking about people's activities in the previous 3 months/the first quarter of the same year.
In this article, statistics that refer to the whole adult population cover people aged 16 to 74. The ICT household survey covers households with at least one member in the relevant age group (16 to 74). Generative AI use in this article refers to using these tools in the 3 months preceding the survey.
Context
The EU’s digital strategy aims to ensure that advanced technologies such as AI are taken up by businesses and, more generally, that they are developed and used safely, ethically and in a way that benefits the economy and society. Through its AI Act, the EU is already leading the way on making AI safer and more trustworthy and on tackling the risks associated with its misuse.
Explore further
Other articles
Database
- - ICT usage in households and by individuals
- - Artificial Intelligence
Thematic section
Methodology
- ICT usage in households and by individuals (ESMS metadata file — isoc_i)