The use of generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Grok has grown significantly across Europe, with millions of people now relying on the technology for personal, work, and educational purposes. These tools can generate new content, including text, images, code, and videos, based on user prompts and patterns learned from existing data.
According to Eurostat, about one-third of Europeans aged 16 to 74 used AI tools at least once in 2025. However, adoption rates vary widely across the continent, with usage ranging from 17 percent in Turkey to 56 percent in Norway. Within the European Union, Denmark leads with 48 percent of people reporting AI use, while Romania has the lowest rate at 18 percent.
Thirteen countries reported that at least two in five people had used Gen AI tools in the three months prior to the survey. These include Switzerland and Estonia (47 percent each), Malta (46 percent), Finland (46 percent), Ireland (45 percent), the Netherlands (45 percent), Cyprus (44 percent), Greece (44 percent), Luxembourg (43 percent), Belgium (42 percent), and Sweden (42 percent).
Conversely, eight countries saw usage fall below 25 percent, including Serbia (19 percent), Italy (20 percent), Bosnia and Herzegovina (20 percent), North Macedonia (22 percent), Bulgaria (23 percent), Poland (23 percent), Turkey (17 percent), and Romania (18 percent). Among major EU economies, Germany (32 percent) and Italy (20 percent) remain below the EU average, while Spain (38 percent) and France (37 percent) slightly exceed it.
Experts say the differences reflect the broader digital landscape and skill levels in each country. Colin van Noordt, a researcher at KU Leuven University in Belgium, told Euronews Next that nations with strong digital foundations, like Denmark and Switzerland, have higher adoption rates because their populations already possess digital skills, frequent internet use, and familiarity with technology.
“In countries with lower adoption, people often don’t know generative AI exists or are unsure how to use it,” van Noordt said. He added that understanding how AI can be applied in daily life or work, often referred to as “AI literacy,” is a major factor in adoption. Government policies may encourage use, but underlying digital culture and practical skills appear to have a greater impact, he said.
The survey also highlighted differences in how AI is used. Across the EU, personal use (25 percent) exceeds work-related use (15 percent) in every country, though the gap varies. In the Netherlands, personal and work use are nearly equal at 28 percent and 27 percent, respectively. In Greece, 41 percent use AI personally, compared with just 16 percent at work.
Use of AI in formal education is limited, with only 9 percent of Europeans reporting educational use. Sweden and Switzerland lead at 21 percent, while Hungary records just 1 percent. Analysts suggest that uncertainty over practical applications of AI continues to limit workplace and educational adoption.
The Eurostat data underscores a clear north–south and west–east divide in Gen AI adoption, with Nordic and digitally advanced countries leading the way and southern, central-eastern, and Balkan nations trailing.
