How many people shop online (2025)
By Arhaty ResearchPublished
35.8%
35.8% of adults in low- and middle-income economies used a phone or the internet to buy something online in 2024.
Period covered: 2024
Cite this research
Arhaty Research. (Oct. 31, 2026). How many people shop online (2025). Arhaty. https://arhaty.com/research/online-shoppers
In upper-middle-income economies 60.4% of adults shopped online in 2024, against 3.8% in low-income economies.
Of the 98 economies with World Bank figures for 2024, China had the highest share, at 74.4%. Ethiopia had the lowest, at 0.7%.
In the EU, the share of people aged 16 to 74 who shopped online rose from 67.11% in 2021 to 73.56% in 2025.
In 2025 Ireland had the highest share in the EU, at 95.05%, and Bulgaria the lowest, at 51.20%.
- Low and middle income
- 35.8%
- China
- 74.4%
- India
- 16.2%
- Upper middle income
- 60.4%
How many people shop online in low- and middle-income economies?
35.8% of adults, according to the World Bank's 2024 Global Findex survey. The share rises steeply with income: 60.4% in upper-middle-income economies, 16.3% in lower-middle-income economies and 3.8% in low-income economies.[1]
Share of adults who shopped online, by income group, 2024
Low- and middle-income economies, % of people aged 15 and over
- Upper middle income
- Low and middle income
- Lower middle income
- Low income
Show the figures
| Category | 2024 |
|---|---|
| Upper middle income | 60.4% |
| Low and middle income | 35.8% |
| Lower middle income | 16.3% |
| Low income | 3.8% |
Which low- and middle-income economies shop online the most?
Of the 98 economies with World Bank figures for 2024, mostly low- and middle-income ones, China had the highest share, at 74.4%, well ahead of Saudi Arabia at 56.2% and Malaysia at 54.0%. In India it was 16.2%, and in Ethiopia 0.7%.[1]
Share of adults who shopped online, by economy in the World Bank survey, 2024
% of people aged 15 and over, top 10 of 98 economies with figures
- China
- Saudi Arabia
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Ukraine
- Poland
- Thailand
- Vietnam
- Croatia
- Kazakhstan
Show the figures
| Category | 2024 |
|---|---|
| China | 74.4% |
| Saudi Arabia | 56.2% |
| Malaysia | 54.0% |
| Mongolia | 53.6% |
| Ukraine | 51.5% |
| Poland | 49.9% |
| Thailand | 46.6% |
| Vietnam | 46.2% |
| Croatia | 43.5% |
| Kazakhstan | 42.8% |
How many people shop online in the EU?
73.56% of people aged 16 to 74 bought something online in the 12 months before the 2025 survey, up from 67.11% in 2021.[2]
Share of people in the EU who shopped online
People aged 16 to 74 who bought online in the past 12 months, yearly, %
Show the figures
| Date | European Union |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 67.11% |
| 2022 | 67.95% |
| 2023 | 69.60% |
| 2024 | 71.76% |
| 2025 | 73.56% |
Ireland had the highest share, at 95.05%, then the Netherlands at 94.18% and Denmark at 91.18%. Bulgaria had the lowest, at 51.20%, and Italy was second lowest, at 56.22%.[2]
Share of people who shopped online, by EU country, 2025
People aged 16 to 74 who bought online in the past 12 months, %
- Ireland
- Netherlands
- Denmark
- Sweden
- Czechia
- Finland
- Germany
- France
- Luxembourg
- Slovakia
- Belgium
- Estonia
- European Union
- Austria
- Malta
- Spain
- Latvia
- Poland
- Greece
- Hungary
- Slovenia
- Lithuania
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Portugal
- Romania
- Italy
- Bulgaria
Show the figures
| Category | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Ireland | 95.05% |
| Netherlands | 94.18% |
| Denmark | 91.18% |
| Sweden | 88.78% |
| Czechia | 83.67% |
| Finland | 82.04% |
| Germany | 81.38% |
| France | 80.15% |
| Luxembourg | 80.10% |
| Slovakia | 78.76% |
| Belgium | 78.53% |
| Estonia | 76.53% |
| European Union | 73.56% |
| Austria | 72.71% |
| Malta | 71.38% |
| Spain | 70.77% |
| Latvia | 69.73% |
| Poland | 69.73% |
| Greece | 68.00% |
| Hungary | 67.68% |
| Slovenia | 66.87% |
| Lithuania | 64.83% |
| Cyprus | 63.41% |
| Croatia | 61.72% |
| Portugal | 60.50% |
| Romania | 60.28% |
| Italy | 56.22% |
| Bulgaria | 51.20% |
Data
| Upper middle income | 60.4% |
|---|---|
| Low and middle income | 35.8% |
| Lower middle income | 16.3% |
| Low income | 3.8% |
| China | 74.4% |
|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 56.2% |
| Malaysia | 54.0% |
| Mongolia | 53.6% |
| Ukraine | 51.5% |
| Poland | 49.9% |
| Thailand | 46.6% |
| Vietnam | 46.2% |
| Croatia | 43.5% |
| Kazakhstan | 42.8% |
| Brazil | 41.7% |
| Turkey | 41.6% |
| Romania | 38.8% |
| Argentina | 36.4% |
| Bulgaria | 35.6% |
| Serbia | 34.5% |
| Iran | 34.3% |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 28.4% |
| North Macedonia | 28.0% |
| Philippines | 27.4% |
| Georgia | 26.9% |
| Indonesia | 26.3% |
| Armenia | 23.0% |
| Oman | 22.0% |
| Senegal | 21.7% |
| Mauritius | 21.2% |
| Venezuela | 21.1% |
| Kenya | 20.6% |
| Costa Rica | 20.5% |
| Dominican Republic | 19.9% |
| Mexico | 19.4% |
| Kyrgyzstan | 18.8% |
| Laos | 18.7% |
| Belize | 18.4% |
| Montenegro | 18.4% |
| Moldova | 17.6% |
| Panama | 17.4% |
| India | 16.2% |
| Peru | 15.9% |
| Ecuador | 15.2% |
| Jordan | 14.9% |
| Colombia | 14.8% |
| Ghana | 14.8% |
| South Africa | 14.6% |
| Gabon | 14.0% |
| Cambodia | 13.8% |
| Iraq | 13.8% |
| West Bank and Gaza | 13.8% |
| Albania | 12.6% |
| Azerbaijan | 12.1% |
| Libya | 11.9% |
| Kosovo | 11.6% |
| Bolivia | 11.3% |
| Paraguay | 11.3% |
| Namibia | 11.0% |
| Cameroon | 9.8% |
| Sri Lanka | 9.7% |
| Honduras | 9.6% |
| Togo | 9.6% |
| El Salvador | 9.1% |
| Uzbekistan | 9.0% |
| Tunisia | 8.7% |
| Cote d'Ivoire | 8.3% |
| Eswatini | 8.0% |
| Morocco | 7.9% |
| Zambia | 7.7% |
| Mali | 7.4% |
| Guatemala | 7.2% |
| Bangladesh | 7.1% |
| Algeria | 6.8% |
| Uganda | 6.8% |
| Mauritania | 6.5% |
| Botswana | 6.2% |
| Nepal | 6.2% |
| Tajikistan | 6.0% |
| Nigeria | 5.8% |
| Lesotho | 5.7% |
| Mozambique | 5.7% |
| Egypt | 5.4% |
| Benin | 5.3% |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | 5.2% |
| Burkina Faso | 5.1% |
| Lebanon | 4.9% |
| Republic of the Congo | 4.9% |
| Gambia | 4.7% |
| Nicaragua | 4.7% |
| Comoros | 4.4% |
| Guinea | 4.3% |
| Sierra Leone | 4.0% |
| Pakistan | 3.9% |
| Liberia | 3.6% |
| Chad | 2.4% |
| Malawi | 2.1% |
| Zimbabwe | 2.0% |
| Tanzania | 1.8% |
| Madagascar | 1.7% |
| Niger | 1.3% |
| Ethiopia | 0.7% |
| 2025 | 73.56% |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 71.76% |
| 2023 | 69.60% |
| 2022 | 67.95% |
| 2021 | 67.11% |
| Ireland | 95.05% |
|---|---|
| Netherlands | 94.18% |
| Denmark | 91.18% |
| Sweden | 88.78% |
| Czechia | 83.67% |
| Finland | 82.04% |
| Germany | 81.38% |
| France | 80.15% |
| Luxembourg | 80.10% |
| Slovakia | 78.76% |
| Belgium | 78.53% |
| Estonia | 76.53% |
| European Union | 73.56% |
| Austria | 72.71% |
| Malta | 71.38% |
| Spain | 70.77% |
| Latvia | 69.73% |
| Poland | 69.73% |
| Greece | 68.00% |
| Hungary | 67.68% |
| Slovenia | 66.87% |
| Lithuania | 64.83% |
| Cyprus | 63.41% |
| Croatia | 61.72% |
| Portugal | 60.50% |
| Romania | 60.28% |
| Italy | 56.22% |
| Bulgaria | 51.20% |
Methodology
The World Bank's Global Findex survey asks adults aged 15 and over in each economy whether they used a mobile phone or the internet to buy something online in the past year. Its 2024 round has figures for 98 economies, mostly low- and middle-income ones, and none for most high-income economies, among them the United States, Japan and Germany. The income-group figures are the World Bank's own aggregates for low- and middle-income economies.
Eurostat's survey on ICT usage in households asks people aged 16 to 74 in each EU country when they last bought or ordered goods or services online. This page counts those whose last online purchase was in the 12 months before the survey. Eurostat flags a break in its series in 2021, so the EU trend starts there.
Neither survey gives a worldwide figure, and this page does not estimate one. The World Bank and Eurostat publish these figures under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. This page and its CSVs are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sources
Update history
First published with World Bank Global Findex figures for 2024 and Eurostat figures from 2021 to 2025.
Related research
Internet
How much web traffic is mobile (September 2026)
59.03%of web page views worldwide came from mobile phones in September 2026.
Updated
Internet
Internet users by country (2024)
1,296million people in China used the internet in 2024, the most of any country.
Updated