The Statistical Office of the European Communities (Eurostat) has released statistical data on electronic commerce in the European Union, compiled from information collected in the twenty-seven Member States of the Union in 2006 and 2007, based on surveys covering individuals aged between sixteen and seventy-four.
The numbers released show that, in recent years, the number of individuals who have acquired goods or services over the Internet has increased from 24 to 30 per cent. The greatest increase was recorded in Denmark, Holland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, while Bulgaria, Romania and Lithuania were the countries with the lowest proportion of internet shoppers.
Security and privacy issues are cited as the main concerns in the use of this service, particularly when providing personal or bank details online. These fears are most prevalent in Spain, Finland and Cyprus.
Regarding the use of online banking, the percentage of individuals who have been using this service over the last two years has increased from 38 to 44 per cent, with Finland, Holland and Estonia seeing the highest number of accesses, and to the contrary, Bulgaria, Romania and Greece with the lowest number of accesses.
The released information also indicates that a quarter of users have suffered a virus attack with loss of information, in particular in Lithuania, Slovenia and Malta, in contrast to the Czech Republic, Estonia and Sweden, which were the least affected countries.
As far as Portugal is concerned, Eurostat's numbers show that 9 per cent of all citizens have used e-commerce while 13 per cent avoid using it because of security issues. Meanwhile, 29 per cent use online banking and 26 per cent have been the target of viruses.
Further information:
- Eurostat - News release http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls/portal/docs/PAGE/PGP_PRD_CAT_PREREL/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2008/PGE_CAT_PREREL_YEAR_2008_MONTH_02/4-08022008-EN-AP.PDF
Related information on ANACOM's website:
- Information society https://www.anacom.pt/render.jsp?categoryId=118259
