Bulgaria had lowest percentage of online shopping in EU in 2019 – Eurostat
Twenty-two per cent of Bulgarians shopped online in 2019, the lowest percentage among European Union member states, EU statistics agency Eurostat said on April 20.
However, the trend in Bulgaria towards increased shopping online tracked that across the EU.
In Bulgaria, the percentage has risen steadily, from five per cent in 2009, to 17 per cent in 2016, 18 per cent in 2017 and 21 per cent in 2018.
Eurostat said that online shopping is continuing to increase in the EU.
“Together with increasing use of the internet and improving security standards, consumers appreciate the possibilities of being able to shop anytime, anywhere, with access to a wide range of products and easy price comparisons.
“During the current coronavirus pandemic, with high streets in lockdown and consumers under social distancing restrictions, e-commerce can be expected to grow further,” Eurostat said.
Sixty per cent of people in the EU aged 16 to 74 shopped online during the year prior to the 2019 survey, compared with 56 per cent in the 2018 survey. Compared with 2009, the share of online shoppers had almost doubled from 32 per cent.
In the EU, men tend to shop online slightly more than women, with 61 per cent of men and 59 per cent of women shopping online. However, the share of online shoppers has increased more among women over the past 10 years (from 29 per cent in 2009 to 59 per cent in 2019) than among men (from 35 per cent in 2009 to 61 per cent in 2019).
The share of online shoppers has increased substantially among all age groups over the last 10 years, in particular for the age groups between 16 and 54 years old.
The highest share and the highest increase was among internet users aged 25 to 34 years (from 46 per cent in 2009 to 79 per cent in 2019), followed by the age groups 16 to 24 years (up from 41 per cent to 73 per cent), 35 to 44 years (up from 41 per cent to 71 per cent) and 45 to 54 years (up from 31 per cent to 61 per cent).
The share of online shopper rose also in the group of persons aged 55 to 64 years, from 19 per cent in the 2009 survey to 45 per cent in the 2019 survey, as well as for those aged 65 to 74 years (up from eight per cent to 28 per cent).
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(Photo: Victor Semionov via flickr.com)
