Eurostat: 40% of EU citizens lack basic digital skills, Romania ranks last

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%.