The document discusses internet usage disparities across Europe, highlighting that a significant percentage of people, particularly those with lower education levels, do not use the internet. It emphasizes that barriers such as lack of skills, safety concerns, and equipment costs prevent many from accessing the internet. Additionally, initiatives like Internet Buttons aim to assist those unfamiliar or anxious about the web by providing easy access to resources and support networks across Europe.

1. Isn’t everyone
using the internet? Which is this
percent of the
Well, as it turns out, no. 9% 500 million
This percent of people people in the
24%
Finland 20%
NEVER use the internet 5% European Union
Estonia
Sweden
7% 27%
33% Latvia
Denmark
7% 33%
21% 11% Lithuania
Netherlands 16% European Union
Ireland United Poland
Kingdom
14% Germany
24% 20%
8% Czech Republic
Belguim Slovakia
Which is a
Luxembourg
18% 18% 28% 54% whopping...
Austria
120
Hungary Romania
France
39% 46%
million
29%
41% 29% Italy Slovenia Bulgaria
people
Portugal Spain
30% 45%
41%
Malta Greece
Cyprus
So what type of people are going online?
Is it more educated people?
Yep... definitely. People with high
formal education use it loads more
than people with no or low education
92% 97% 97% 98% 90% 93%
80% 80% 87%
78% 76%
45% 41% 33%
15% 16%
European Union Denmark Sweden Netherlands Poland Portugal Greece Romania
Is it more men than women? In most countries it’s
more men than women,
but not everywhere...
91%
81% 82% 80% 73%
70% 65% 71% 72% 74% 70% 73%
56% 61% 61%
46%
European Union Austria Italy Luxembourg Germany Lithuania Estonia Ireland
And what are they doing online? European Union
39%
72%
Loads of Luxembourg
different things This many people 70%
Finland
are using it for
64%
education and Denmark
learning 22%
Czech Republic
News
20%
Romania
13%
Shopping Education and Bulgaria
learning
17%
European Union
27%
Denmark
Entertainment
27%
Looking Latvia
for jobs
27%
Finland
9%
This many people Romania
Social
Transport are using it to 7%
look for and Czech Republic
apply for jobs 7%
Cyprus
What’s stopping some people from 32%
European Union
using the internet? 68%
Cyprus
Well, all This many people
60%
these factors don’t have the Estonia
Necessary skills 58%
Malta
15%
Denmark
Safety 10%
Lithuania
Equipment 5%
costs Luxembourg
Lack of skills
23%
European Union
54%
Disability Latvia
Access costs 53%
Estonia
42%
Slovenia
5%
Harmful Netherlands
content This many people
Relevance 4%
can’t afford it
Malta
3%
Luxembourg
All figures are in percentages
Data from Digital Inclusion Content Access
Use Formal Education Gender Education Employability Barriers
Countries represented in the Individuals regularly Individuals never Individuals regularly Individuals regularly Men 16–74 regularly Women 16–74 Individuals using the Individuals using the Households without Households without
overleaf infographic illustrate using the internet having used the using the internet using the internet using the internet regularly using the internet for training internet to look and internet because of internet as access
the highest and lowest ranking internet with no or low with high formal internet and education apply for jobs lack of skills costs are too high
countries in the these categories formal education education
Year 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2011 2010 2010 2010 2010
EU (27 Countries) 68% 24% 45% 92% 70% 65% 39% 17% 32% 23%
Austria 76 18 52 91 81 71 35 21 28 15
Belgium 78 14 58 95 81 75 39 14 28 25
Bulgaria 46 46 17 82 47 45 13 12 43 14
Cyprus 54 41 26 84 58 51 23 7 68 20
Czech Republic 63 24 52 92 66 60 22 7 20 12
Denmark 87 07 80 97 89 86 64 27 15 5
Estonia 73 20 62 86 72 74 33 25 60 53
Finland 86 9 72 95 86 85 70 27 49 26
France 74 18 60 95 76 72 53 15 38 36
Germany 77 16 64 89 80 73 38 18 32 28
Greece 47 45 15 80 51 44 28 13 33 10
Hungary 66 28 37 92 68 65 33 20 35 40
Ireland 71 21 44 93 70 73 44 20 28 10
Italy 51 39 28 85 56 46 38 12 36 10
Latvia 66 27 52 88 67 66 42 27 44 54
Lithuania 61 33 42 91 61 61 25 14 10 21
Luxembourg 86 08 74 97 91 82 72 15 5 3
Malta 66 30 49 97 68 64 43 20 58 4
Netherlands 90 7 76 98 91 88 38 19 19 5
Poland 58 33 41 90 60 56 35 11 30 21
Portugal 51 41 33 93 54 48 42 11 52 16
Romania 37 54 16 87 39 36 20 9 34 41
Slovakia 72 20 57 94 73 71 27 18 33 18
Slovenia 64 29 30 93 68 61 47 14 58 42
Spain 62 29 37 91 65 59 39 17 28 25
Sweden 91 5 78 97 92 89 50 26 36 27
United Kingdom 81 11 42 95 82 79 42 26 19 18
So what can we do about it?
Here's one idea...
Internet Buttons is a free webtool that makes it easy to use the internet. It helps overcome many of the barriers
preventing people going online, making the internet feel safer, more relevant and less scary.
Create a page of
Internet Buttons
for someone you
know, who is
nervous or new
to the Web
The buttons link
to your favourite
websites, making
it super easy to
use the internet
www.internetbuttons.org • www.internetbuttons.nl
www.internetbuttons.ie • www.internetstarter.com.pl
there are also
Its free and
loads of helpful
really simple
tips on the site
to set up
Need more help?
Telecentre Europe is a network of thousands of places across Europe that help to get people online and learn new
skills. It continues to ensure that no one is left behind, and that we can have 'Every European Digital'. For more
information see www.telecentre-europe.org
Internet Buttons is an initiative by Liberty Global/UPC, created by the not-for-profit company We Are What We Do.