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Data extracted in: December 2024.

Planned article update: March 2027.

Highlights

In 2024, 87.2% of people with a disability in the EU had used the internet during the previous 12 months, compared to 95.2% of people without a disability.

In 2024 in the EU, people with and without disabilities used the internet for making medical appointments and seeking health information at similar rates.

A bullet chart showing the share of people aged 16 to 74 years having used the internet. Data are shown for selected frequencies of use (in the previous 12 months or at least once a week) and for selected purposes (finding information on goods and services, telephoning or video calls, seeking health information, internet banking, participating in social networks, making a medical appointment or learning activities). Data are shown in percent, for 2024 for the EU. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet with selected frequencies and for selected purposes, by disability status, EU, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_ictiu01), (dsb_ictiu02), (dsb_ictiu03), (dsb_ictiu04), (dsb_ictiu05), (dsb_ictiu06), (dsb_ictiu07), (dsb_ictiu08) and (dsb_ictiu09)

This article is part of a set of articles on disability and presents various aspects of the lives of people with a disability (activity limitation). Participation in the digital society is a key element of the social integration of individuals. The findings presented in this article are based on the European Union’s (EU) survey on the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in households and by individuals.

Disability is approximated according to the concept of global activity limitation, which is defined as self-assessment of own level of limitation – because of health problems – in carrying out usual activities, for at least the previous 6 months (that is, being limited or severely limited in an everyday activity that people usually do).


Use of the internet in general

People with a disability were less likely to have used the internet

In 2024, the share of people in the EU who had used the internet in the previous 12 months was 87.2% among people with a disability and 95.2% among those without (see Figure 1).

In all EU countries, the share of people who had used the internet within the previous 12 months was lower among people with a disability than among those without. In relative terms, the widest disability gaps in 2024 were observed in Bulgaria and Greece, where the shares for people without a disability were, respectively, 1.6 and 1.5 times higher than those for people with a disability. The narrowest disability gap was in the Netherlands, followed by Sweden, Ireland, Luxembourg and Finland.

A bullet chart showing the share of people aged 16 to 74 years having used the internet during the previous 12 months. Data are shown for people with a disability and people without a disability. Data are shown in percent, for 2024, for the EU as well as for EU, EFTA and enlargement countries. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 1: Share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet during the previous 12 months, by disability status, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_ictiu01)

Figure 2 looks at regular internet use, in other words having used the internet at least once a week, during the previous 3 months (including daily use). In 2024, the share of people in the EU who used the internet regularly was 93.5% among people without a disability, 86.0% for people who were limited in their activity and 78.2% among people who were severely limited.

When analysed by age and sex, the disability gaps for regular internet use in the EU in 2024 were quite similar, always with a higher share of use for people without a disability and a lower share for people who were severely limited. The gender disability gaps were relatively narrow

  • among people without a disability or who were limited in their activity, the shares of regular users were marginally higher among men
  • among people who were severely limited, the share of regular users was higher among women.

Unlike the analysis by sex, an analysis by age shows substantial differences in regular internet use. There was a clear age gradient, with a notably lower proportion of internet use among people aged 55 to 74 years than among younger people, regardless of their disability status. Furthermore, the disability gap was larger for people aged 55 to 74 years than for people aged 16 to 24 years.

  • 98.7% of people in the EU aged 16 to 24 years without a disability regularly used the internet in 2024, compared with 98.1% for people of the same age who were limited in their activity and 87.4% for people of the same age who were severely limited.
  • 84.3% of people in the EU aged 55 to 74 years without a disability regularly used the internet in 2024, compared with 78.2% for people of the same age who were limited in their activity and 70.8% for people of the same age who were severely limited.
A grouped column chart showing the share of people having used the internet regularly. Data are shown for people with a disability and people without a disability, with analyses by sex, age and the severity of the disability. Data are shown in percent, for 2024, for the EU. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 2: Share of people having used the internet regularly, by disability status, EU, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_ictiu02)

Use for specific activities

Table 1 shows the shares of people aged 16 to 74 years reporting in 2024 that they had participated in 6 specific internet activities during the previous 3 months. Two of these – participating in social networks and making a medical appointment – are also presented in Figures 3 and 4.

  • The share of people who reported that they had used the internet for learning activities was 35.8% for people without a disability, 1.4 times higher than the share among people with a disability (25.0%). In every EU country, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Greece, where the share among people without a disability was 18.3 times higher than among people with a disability.
  • The share of people who reported that they had used the internet for telephoning or video calls was 75.3% for people without a disability, 1.2 times higher than the share among people with a disability (62.2%). In every EU country, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Bulgaria, where the share among people without a disability was 2.0 times higher than among people with a disability.
  • The share of people who reported that they had used the internet for finding information on goods and services was 77.5% for people without a disability, 1.2 times higher than the share among people with a disability (65.1%). In every EU country, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Bulgaria, where the share among people without a disability was 2.0 times higher than among people with a disability.
  • The share of people who reported that they had used the internet for banking was 69.3% for people without a disability, again 1.2 times higher than the share among people with a disability (57.2%). In every EU country, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Romania, where the share among people without a disability was 3.7 times higher than among people with a disability.
A table showing the share of people aged 16 to 74 years having used the internet for particular activities during the previous 3 months. Data are shown for people with a disability and people without a disability for six activities: learning activities, telephoning or video calls, participating in social networks, finding information on goods/services, internet banking and making a medical appointment. Data are shown in percent, for 2024, for the EU as well as for EU, EFTA and enlargement countries. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Table 1: Share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet for particular activities during the previous 3 months, by disability status, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_ictiu03), (dsb_ictiu04), (dsb_ictiu05), (dsb_ictiu06), (dsb_ictiu07) and (dsb_ictiu09)

In 2024, the share of people aged 16 to 74 years who reported that they had used the internet for participating in social networks during the previous 3 months was 67.6% for people without a disability, 1.3 times higher than the share among people with a disability (50.8%) – see Figure 3. In every EU country, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Bulgaria, where the share among people without a disability was 3.3 times higher than among people with a disability.

A bullet chart showing the share of people aged 16 to 74 years having used the internet for participating in social networks during the previous 3 months. Data are shown for people with a disability and people without a disability. Data are shown in percent, for 2024, for the EU as well as for EU, EFTA and enlargement countries. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 3: Share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet for participating in social networks during the previous 3 months, by disability status, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_ictiu05)

In 2024, the share of people aged 16 to 74 years who reported that they had used the internet for making a medical appointment during the previous 3 months was 39.7% for people without a disability, marginally lower than the share among people with a disability (40.0%) – see Figure 4. In a majority of EU countries, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Bulgaria, where the share among people without a disability was 3.6 times higher than for people with a disability. In Austria, the shares were the same for people with or without a disability. In Italy, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Sweden, Germany and Ireland, the shares were higher for people with a disability.

A bullet chart showing the share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet for making a medical appointment during the previous 3 months. Data are shown for people with a disability and people without a disability. Data are shown in percent, for 2024, for the EU as well as for EU, EFTA and enlargement countries. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 4: Share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet for making a medical appointment during the previous 3 months, by disability status, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_ictiu09)

Use for e-government activities

Figure 5 presents analyses by sex and age for the share of people aged 16 to 74 years who reported in 2024 having used the internet during the previous 12 months for 4 specific e-government activities: interaction with public authorities, request official documents or certificates, making an appointment/reservation and using a website or app of public authorities.

  • 56.8% of people without a disability used the internet for interacting with public authorities compared with 52.1% of people with a disability.
  • 20.1% of people without a disability used the internet to request official documents or certificates compared with 16.6% of people with a disability.
  • 35.2% of people without a disability used the internet for making an appointment/reservation (with public authorities) compared with 32.1% of people with a disability.
  • 71.4% of people without a disability used a website or app of public authorities compared with 63.3% of people with a disability.
  • For making an appointment/reservation, the disability gap was larger for women than for men; for requesting official documents or certificates, the disability gap was larger for men than for women; for interaction with public authorities and for using a website or app of public authorities, the disability gap was almost the same for men and women.
  • For interaction with public authorities, requesting official documents or certificates and making an appointment/reservation, the disability gap was largest for older people (people aged 55 to 74 years) and reversed – indicating a higher share for people with a disability – for people aged 25 to 54 years and the youngest people (aged 16 to 24 years).
  • For using a website or app of public authorities, the disability gap was also largest for older people, notably smaller for people aged 25 to 54 years and reversed for the youngest age group.
A bullet chart showing the share of people having used the internet for e-government activities during the previous 12 months. Data are shown for people with a disability and people without a disability, analysed by sex and by age for four types of activities: interaction with public authorities, request official documents or certificates, making an appointment/reservation and using a website or app of public authorities. Data are shown in percent, for 2024, for the EU. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Figure 5: Share of people having used the internet for e-government activities during the previous 12 months, by disability status, EU, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_icteg01), (dsb_icteg02), (dsb_icteg03) and (dsb_icteg04)

Table 2 shows the shares of people aged 16 to 74 years reporting in 2024 that they had used the internet during the previous 12 months for the same 4 e-government activities as shown in Figure 5. Note that data are not available or are incomplete for Denmark, Estonia and Croatia.

  • In the EU, the share of people without a disability who reported that in 2024 they had used the internet to interact with public authorities was 1.1 times higher than the share among people with a disability. In nearly every EU country, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gaps were in Romania and Greece, where the shares among people without a disability were, respectively, 2.3 and 2.2 times higher than among people with a disability. The Netherlands and Italy were exceptions in that the shares were marginally higher for people with a disability than for people without a disability, while in Ireland the shares were the same.
  • The share of people in the EU who reported that they had used the internet to request official documents or certificates from public authorities in 2024 was 1.2 times higher for people without a disability than the share among people with a disability. In every EU country except for Bulgaria, Sweden and Ireland, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Romania, where the share among people without a disability was 4.0 times higher than among people with a disability.
  • In the EU, the share of people who reported that they had used the internet to make an appointment/reservation with public authorities in 2024 was 1.1 times higher than for people without a disability than the share among people with a disability. In every EU country except for Italy and Cyprus, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Bulgaria, where the share among people without a disability was 4.1 times higher than among people with a disability.
  • The share of people in the EU who reported that they had used a website or app of public authorities in 2024 was 1.1 times higher for people without a disability than the share among people with a disability. In every EU country, the share was higher for people without a disability. The largest relative disability gap was in Romania, where the share among people without a disability was 2.2 times higher than among people with a disability.
A table showing the share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet for e-government activities during the previous 12 months. Data are shown for people with a disability and people without a disability analysed by four types of activities: interaction with public authorities, request official documents or certificates, making an appointment/reservation and using a website or app of public authorities. Data are shown in percent, for 2024, for the EU as well as for EU, EFTA and enlargement countries. The complete data of the visualisation are available in the Excel file at the end of the article.
Table 2: Share of people aged 16–74 years having used the internet for e-government activities during the previous 12 months, by disability status, 2024
(%)
Source: Eurostat (dsb_icteg01), (dsb_icteg02), (dsb_icteg03) and (dsb_icteg04)

Source data for tables and graphs

Data sources and availability

The annual survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals is used to benchmark ICT-driven developments, both by following developments for core variables over time and by looking in greater depth at other aspects at a specific point in time. It provides annual data for EU countries as well as some EFTA and enlargement countries.

The reference period for the survey is in most cases the first quarter of each year; in most countries, the survey is conducted in the second quarter of each year. The survey covers households having at least 1 member in the age group 16 to 74 years old. As such, older people are excluded from the survey. This age coverage limitation is particularly important when comparing analyses of people with a disability based on the ICT survey with similar analyses of people with a disability from sources including older people. Age is an important factor in disability, with older people more likely to report having a disability. Please refer to the article on the population with a disability for information about the incidence of self-reported disability in various age groups. Disability is measured from self-reported data so, to a certain extent, it reflects respondents' subjective perception as well as by their social and cultural background.

Internet users are defined as all individuals aged 16 to 74 years who had used the internet in the 3 months prior to the survey. Regular internet users are individuals who used the internet, on average, at least once a week in the 3 months prior to the survey. Concerning internet use for specific activities, the recall period is either the previous 3 months or the previous 12 months.

The disability gap refers to absolute differences in outcomes experienced by individuals with disabilities compared to those without.

The relative disability gap shows how many times more or less the outcome experienced by individuals without a disability differs to the outcome experienced by individuals with disabilities.


Context

ICTs affect people’s everyday lives in many ways; at home, at work, when studying or at leisure, for example, when communicating or buying goods or services online. EU policies range from regulating entire areas such as e-commerce to trying to protect an individual’s privacy. The development of the information society is therefore regarded by many as critical for providing the necessary conditions to promote a modern and competitive economy.

Disability statistics are used to measure the impact and effectiveness of EU policy aimed at ensuring equal rights for people with disabilities. The EU has adopted several strategies aimed at improving the lives of people with disabilities

  • by reducing discrimination and inequalities;
  • by providing support to enjoy fully their human rights, fundamental freedoms and EU rights on an equal basis with others.

In light of this, the 2021–2030 EU Strategy for the rights of people with disabilities sets EU objectives and priority actions in several areas, such as accessibility, citizens’ rights, the quality of life, equal access and non-discrimination, and the promotion of the rights of people with disabilities. To find out more, please visit the webpage on the monitoring framework for the objectives and actions of this strategy.

To ensure sound monitoring and reporting of this topic, the European Commission is reinforcing the collection of data on the situation of people with disabilities in areas where knowledge gaps have been identified.

The EU is also a signatory of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

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Access to information and communication technologies (dsb_ict)
Use of internet (dsb_ictiu)
E-government activities via websites (dsb_icteg)

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Ageing and living conditions

Digital economy and society

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