From outsiders to leaders: Lithuania has caught up with Europe in internet access

From 2014 to 2024, internet access in households in Lithuania grew from 65 to 90%, the latest Eurostat data shows. This is one of the most significant changes in all of Europe. While a decade ago Lithuania lagged behind the European average by about 15 percentage points on this indicator, it is now almost identical. According to the study, last year Lithuanians used the internet most for communication, searching for information about goods and services, shopping, and watching videos.

The average internet access in households across the entire European Union (EU) currently reaches 94%, whereas in 2014 it was 80%. The best access is in countries such as the Netherlands and Luxembourg — around 99% — and the lowest in Greece and Croatia, where this indicator reaches about 87%.

At present, in terms of internet access in households, Lithuania is among the top ten best-rated EU countries, although just a decade ago it was almost twice as low in this ranking.

As internet technology expert Artur Stefanovič, CEO of Etanetas, one of the first internet providers in Lithuania, notes, the results, which reflect a significant change in internet access in Lithuania, should come as no surprise. According to him, over the past decade, not only the technological infrastructure but also people's own digital habits have grown significantly in Lithuania.

"Although a lot is said about 5G connectivity, I think that, in terms of how we have improved, even more credit should go to the fibre-optic internet infrastructure perfected over the past decade in Lithuania, which now allows users to use a stably operating connection reaching speeds of up to 10 Gbps. Today, even in the most remote corners of the country, one can have the same quality of internet as in large cities. Without any doubt, such growth would not have been possible without users' own habits — they increasingly use the internet for work, learning and shopping. In addition, many households have more than one device operating with the help of the internet. This shows that technologies are not only improving but also becoming accessible and understandable to everyone," says A. Stefanovič.

The importance of the internet is also confirmed by the frequency of use

More detailed Eurostat data reveals that in 2024 about 90% of Lithuanians aged 16–74 used the internet at least once every three months. This indicator matches the EU average and is very similar to the data of neighbouring Latvia and Estonia.

In addition, the study shows that of those Lithuanians who used the internet at least once every three months, as many as 85% used the internet daily. This is a slightly smaller percentage than the EU average (88%). There is still plenty of room for growth, since, for comparison, Ireland and the Netherlands had the most daily internet users — as many as 98% each.

"Looking at the statistics, one can conclude that we still really do have room to grow in daily internet use. On the other hand, when already now more than 8 in 10 people in Lithuania use the internet daily, it becomes clear that it has long ceased to be a luxury or an additional option — it is a basic everyday tool. Observing the trends and knowing Lithuanians' inclination towards innovation, I would predict that very soon we will overtake the European average too," says A. Stefanovič.

For what needs did Lithuanians use the internet most often?

Eurostat data shows that in 2024 Lithuanians used the internet most often for communication and information searching — both for personal and practical purposes.

About 80% of residents sent instant messages (Messenger, WhatsApp), a similar number searched for information about goods and services and read the news.

About 75% of users sent or received emails, and roughly 70% used the internet to watch videos.

E-commerce and health services also took an important place — 65% of the study's respondents said they had shopped online or searched for health-related information. Lithuania stands out here in that over five years the percentage of those buying goods online grew by as much as 15%, and this is one of the most significant changes among all European countries.

The internet was used much more rarely for learning — in Lithuania only about 25% of users searched for material related to it.

According to A. Stefanovič, such figures testify that in Lithuania the internet has become not only a source of information, as it was a good ten or more years ago, but also an inseparable tool without which it would be hard to properly carry out everyday matters, both in the work and personal spheres.

"It is obvious that in Lithuania the internet has long ceased to be merely a means of communication — it is like a universal life platform, and one really cannot say that such trends are bad. After all, people read and quickly learn the most important world news online, buy goods and services, consult with doctors, communicate and even resolve everyday household matters. It is obvious that, with the majority of residents doing such things digitally, a lot of time is saved that can be devoted to other important things and that increases overall life productivity," says the Etanetas CEO.

According to A. Stefanovič, the growing internet access in today's everyday life, especially fibre-optic internet, should be viewed only from the positive side, since in the future the importance of the internet in all aspects of life, according to him, will unequivocally only gain even greater significance.