Nearly 87% of Dutch Consumers Now Shop Online

The Netherlands continues to lead the way in online shopping adoption across Europe. According to the most recent figures from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, 86.7% of Dutch consumers made online purchases during the final quarter of 2024. This places the Netherlands at the top of the list among European countries, highlighting a significant shift in digital shopping behavior.

Dutch Consumers Dominate the Digital Market

The latest Eurostat data paints a new picture by measuring the online shopping activity of all individuals aged 16 to 75, rather than just internet users who shopped online in the past year, as seen in previous reports. With this broader scope, the rankings have shifted slightly compared to earlier data.

Trailing closely behind the Netherlands is Ireland, where 85.9% of the population shopped online, followed by Denmark (81.8%) and Norway (80.5%). Meanwhile, the EU-wide average sits at 60.2%.

Southern Europe Still Catching Up

Although e-commerce is growing rapidly in countries like Italy, Romania, and Bulgaria, they remain at the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to online shopper penetration. The same trend applies to non-EU nations such as Montenegro and Albania, where digital shopping is still gaining momentum.

Surge in Older Dutch Shoppers

A notable contributor to the rise in Dutch online shoppers is the increasing participation of older age groups. Statistics Netherlands reported a significant jump in the number of consumers aged 65–75 shopping online, from 64% in 2023 to 73% in 2024. This shift accounts for much of the 2.5 percentage point growth seen in the overall national average, which translates to over 300,000 new online shoppers in just one year.

As the Dutch market continues to embrace digital commerce across all age groups, the country solidifies its role as a frontrunner in Europe’s online shopping landscape.