Young people in Cyprus record highest social network usage in EU

Young people in Cyprus recorded the highest social network usage in the EU, with 98.3 per cent of those aged 16 to 29 reporting active use, according to a report from Eurostat.

The findings revealed that online social networks remain highly popular among young Europeans, with 89.3 per cent of individuals aged 16 to 29 across the EU using such platforms in 2025.

This figure stood significantly above the general population usage rate of 67.3 per cent, highlighting a clear generational divide in digital engagement.

In Cyprus, the gap between young people and the broader population was relatively limited, with 86.5 per cent of the general population using social networks, compared with 98.3 per cent among youth.

This resulted in a difference of 11.8 percentage points in Cyprus, one of the smallest disparities recorded across the EU.

Across the bloc, more than 90 per cent of young people used social networks in 19 out of 27 EU countries, underlining the widespread adoption of digital platforms among younger generations.

Cyprus ranked first, followed by the Czech Republic at 97.2 per cent, Denmark at 96.9 per cent and Finland at 96.6 per cent, all reflecting very high levels of youth engagement with social networks.

At the lower end of the scale, Italy recorded 80.3 per cent, Germany 84.2 per cent and Luxembourg 84.8 per cent, although these figures still represented a strong majority of young users.

The figures also highlighted significant variations in the gap between younger users and the general population across member states.

The largest differences were observed in Croatia, where 61.5 per cent of the general population used social networks compared with 90.7 per cent of young people, marking a gap of 29.2 percentage points.

Austria followed with a gap of 28.2 percentage points, with 67.9 per cent of the general population using social networks compared with 96.1 per cent among youth.

Poland recorded a difference of 27.2 percentage points, with 63.3 per cent usage among the general population and 90.5 per cent among younger individuals.

In contrast, Denmark reported the smallest gap at 7.2 percentage points, with 89.7 per cent of the general population and 96.9 per cent of young people using social networks.

Malta also recorded a relatively small difference of 10.3 percentage points, with 81.6 per cent of the general population compared with 91.9 per cent among youth.

Cyprus stood among the countries with the smallest disparities, reinforcing its position not only as a leader in youth engagement but also as a country where social media usage is widespread across all age groups.