Ecommerce least established in Bulgaria in 2023

According to Eurostat figures, 58.1 percent of all consumers in the European Union made a recent online purchase last year. Ecommerce is most established in the Netherlands and least in Bulgaria. In many parts of Southeast Europe, adoption remains below 35 percent.

Eurostat has literally mapped the share of the population using ecommerce, not only for EU member states but also for several countries outside the Union. Only Iceland, North Macedonia, and the United Kingdom are missing from the overview. The study surveyed residents aged 16 to 74, asking whether they had purchased a product or service online in the three months prior to the poll.

The Netherlands leads

With a share of 84.2 percent, the Netherlands leads the pack. A report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) had already revealed that ecommerce is nowhere as established as in the Netherlands. In all twelve provinces of the country, which boasts 100,000 online stores, adoption rates exceed 80 percent, according to Eurostat figures, with Utrecht (87.8 percent) as the national frontrunner.

Top 5 online shopping countries in Europe

Following the Netherlands, albeit at some distance, are Ireland (80.5 percent) and Sweden (80.2 percent), with Denmark and Luxembourg completing the top 5. In Germany (67.5 percent) and France (65.8 percent), roughly two out of three consumers shop online.

Two out of three French and Germans shop online.

Further south, penetration is lower, with 55.9 percent in Spain and just 39.2 percent in Italy. Bulgaria scores the lowest of all EU member states, with 26.9 percent, while candidate country Albania lags even further behind, at just 16.3 percent.

Northern Europe vs. Southern Europe

The Eurostat map clearly shows that ecommerce is much more entrenched in Northern Europe than in the south. Particularly in the southeast, adoption remains behind.

Growth opportunities

In large parts of Southern Europe, online shopping is not yet widespread, but adoption is steadily growing. This represents opportunities for internationally oriented online retailers.