According to data from Eurostat, last year 22% of companies in the European Union (EU) sold products or services on the internet, and for 19% of them, at least 1% of total turnover came from online channels.

Compared to 2019, the number of companies using e-commerce increased by one percentage point (in the year before the pandemic, 21% sold online) and, compared to 2010, the increase was six percentage points (in that year, the percentage was 13%).

“The steady growth in e-commerce sales in many countries has been intensified by the pandemic and restrictions on movement [of people], which have led customers and businesses to increase interest in online sales,” says Eurostat.

Among the countries with the highest percentage of companies selling on the internet are Ireland (40% of companies use e-commerce), Denmark (38%) and Sweden and Lithuania (both with 36%). On the opposite side of the table are Bulgaria and Luxembourg (both 12%) and Romania (13%). Portugal appears below the EU average, with only 17% of companies selling online in 2020.

Eurostat indicates that in 19% of EU companies with 10 or more employees or professionals, internet sales represent at least 1% of total turnover, a percentage that has been increasing since 2017.

In an analysis of the different Member States, Denmark appears at the top, with 32% of companies where online sales represent at least 1% of total turnover. Behind are Sweden and Ireland, with 34%. On the opposite side is Luxembourg (9%), Bulgaria (10%) and Romania (12%). In this indicator, Portugal appears again below the EU average, with 16% of companies in this situation.