person taking notes during online presentation on the computer screen

In 2025, 34.8% of EU internet users reported taking an online course or using online learning materials. This share is a 1.4 percentage point (pp) increase from 2024 (33.4%) and a substantial jump from 2019, when less than a quarter of internet users (21.4%) had used these educational resources.  

The Netherlands recorded the highest share of internet users engaged in online learning or using online learning materials (60.2%), followed by Ireland (59.7%), Finland (50.7%) and Sweden (50.6%). By contrast, online education was less prevalent in Romania (11.8%), Bulgaria (18.4%) and Cyprus (21.0%).

People doing an online course or using online materials, 2025 (% of individuals who used the internet in the previous 3 months). bar chart. Link to full dataset below.

Source dataset: isoc_ci_ac_i

Among specific online learning methods, 17.3% of internet users took an online course in 2025, with the highest prevalence in Ireland (29.6%), Finland (29.3%) and the Netherlands (28.5%). At the same time, 30.5% of internet users used online learning materials, with the highest share in the Netherlands (55.1%), Ireland (50.4%) and Hungary (46.4%).

This news item marks the International Day for Digital Learning, celebrated on 19 March.

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Methodological notes

  • The data in this article are based on the annual survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals. The results above refer to individuals’ experiences during the 3 months prior to the survey, i.e. the first quarter of 2025. 
  • Online course: a course (planned series of learning activities on a particular subject or topic) offered entirely or partly online and resulting in a qualification or certificate of attendance. 
  • Online learning material: the use of educational material (other than an online course) on any subject or topic available online or in a digital format for educational, professional or private purposes (e.g. audio-visual materials, online learning software, electronic textbooks, learning apps). 

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