Eurostat: 40% of EU citizens lack basic digital skills, Romania ranks last
Published: April 24, 2026 at 10:33 AM
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A Eurostat study released on April 23, 2026, reveals that 40% of citizens across the European Union do not possess basic digital skills. The data places Romania at the bottom of the rankings, with only 31.8% of its population holding basic digital competencies. In contrast, the Netherlands leads the bloc with 84% of citizens possessing these skills, followed closely by Ireland at 83%.
While 93% of people in the EU used the internet at least once a week, usage patterns vary significantly. Instant messaging and email remain the primary activities, utilized by 88% and 87% of internet users respectively. Despite high social media engagement, with 85.4% of Romanians present on networks, functional usage remains low. Only 49.3% of Romanians use email for communication, placing them last in the EU.
Economic indicators show mixed progress in digital adoption. Online banking usage grew to 74% of EU internet users in 2025, compared to 56% in 2015. Denmark leads this sector with 98% usage, whereas Romania trails at 33.3%. Additionally, artificial intelligence adoption in businesses reached 20% across the EU in 2025, up from 13% the previous year. Romania recorded the lowest AI usage among businesses at just 5.2%.
Key Insights
The primary takeaway is the stark disparity between social media presence and essential digital literacy within the European Union.
This gap poses a risk to achieving the 2030 policy goal of 80% digital competency, particularly for nations lagging in foundational skills.
Future progress will depend heavily on targeted educational initiatives rather than general internet access alone.
It remains uncertain whether current adoption rates in sectors like online banking and AI can accelerate sufficiently to meet the decade-long targets.