Denmark emerges as the frontrunner in the EU for active e-banking use. In 2023, a staggering 96 percent of Danes (aged 16-74) were actively using e-banking, as per the latest Eurostat report. This data, part of the 'Key Figures – 2024 edition' report, which covers a wide range of digital society aspects, including demographics, education, and the economy, underscores Denmark's digital prowess.

Just behind the Danes – in terms of e-banking use – are the Dutch with 95 percent, followed by the Finns (94.5 percent), Estonians (84.9 percent), Swedes (84.5 percent), Irish (83.8 percent) and Latvians (83.7 percent). The average for the entire European Union is nearly 64 percent. In this category, Poland was below the EU average, with a result of 59 percent. These data are almost identical to those published quarterly in the NetB@nk report by the Polish Bank Association. They show that approximately 61 percent of Poles actively use electronic banking.

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At the bottom of the table were the Bulgarians and Romanians, with 23.4 and 21.9 percent, respectively.

On the other hand, Poland fared poorly in using the internet to make phone calls or so-called video calls, which have gained importance during the pandemic. According to Eurostat, in 2019, 52 percent of EU citizens used video or teleconferencing; in 2023 already, an average of 69 percent. In Poland, this share increased by a few percentage points, but with a score of 56 percent, our country ranks last in the EU. The leaders are Cyprus (87 percent), the Netherlands (85 percent), and Malta (81 percent).

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All internet use activities analyzed by Eurostat saw an increase in 2023 compared to 2019. These include the use of email (up from 73 to 78 percent), instant messaging (up from 65 to 75 percent), social media (up from 54 to 59 percent), reading the press (up from 62 to 64 percent) or e-learning (up from 15.5 to 23 percent).

One notable exception is the decline in the use of the internet to search for information about products and services. This decline, amidst the booming e-commerce industry, is a cause for concern. In 2019, 66.5 percent of Europeans were searching for information online, a figure that dropped to 64.4 percent in 2023. On this score, Poland is just above the EU average with 64.5 percent, with the Dutch (95 percent) and the Finns (92 percent) leading the way.