Generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) has shifted from emerging technology to everyday utility. From personal use to work and education, millions of people across Europe now rely on AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok.
Gen AI tools allow users to ask a question, or prompt, such as plan a three-day trip for me, and can create new content such as text, images, code, videos, or other data based on information and patterns learned from existing examples.
In the European Union, about a third of people aged 16–74 used AI tools at least once in 2025, according to Eurostat.
However, the use of Gen AI varies widely across the continent. So which countries are most engaged with AI, and why does adoption differ so much across Europe?
Among 33 European countries, the use of Gen AI tools ranges from 17 percent in Turkey to 56 percent in Norway. Within the EU, it varies from 18 per cent in Romania to 48 percent in Denmark.
At least two in five people used Gen AI tools in 13 countries in the three months prior to the 2025 Eurostat survey. The countries include: Switzerland (47%), Estonia (47%), Malta (46), Finland (46%), Ireland (45%), the Netherlands (45%), Cyprus (44%), Greece (44%), Luxembourg (43%), Belgium (42%) and Sweden (42%).
Aside from Turkey and Romania, Gen AI tool use fell below 25 percent in eight countries. That means fewer than one in four people have used such tools in these places. These countries are Serbia (19%), Italy (20%), Bosnia and Herzegovina (20%), North Macedonia (22%), Bulgaria (23%) and Poland (23%).
Among the EU’s major economies, Italy (20%) and Germany (32%) are below the EU’s average of 33 percent, while Spain (38%) and France (37%) are slightly above this average.
Gen AI adoption in Europe shows a clear north–south and west–east divide. Nordic and digitally advanced countries lead in usage. Western Europe performs well, but unevenly. Southern, Central-Eastern, and Balkan countries lag behind.
“Firstly, [AI] adoption rates usually follow a country's general digital foundation. The countries showing the highest adoption, like Denmark and Switzerland, are already very advanced in digitalisation,” Colin van Noordt, a researcher at KU Leuven University in Belgium, told Euronews Next.
He noted that the people there tend to have digital skills, use the internet more often and tend to have a general affinity for technology. Without those basics in place, it is unlikely that people will suddenly start using Gen AI.
“This is reflected in the data: in countries with lower adoption, people don't use it because they didn't know generative AI existed or don't know how to use it,” he added.
Noordt also explained that it’s one thing to have access to GenAI, but another to understand how it can actually help you in your daily life or work. “Many people across Europe say they don't use generative AI simply because they don't know what to use it for. This shows that ‘AI literacy’ is a huge factor,” he said.
Van Noordt looked at whether governmental actions are a major driver, but the evidence is not entirely convincing. Many countries have strong policy papers in place, but still show very low adoption rates.
“This suggests that while a government can stimulate, it is the underlying digital culture and practical skills of the citizens that seem to have a greater effect,” he said.
On average in the EU, 25 percent of people used AI tools for personal reasons, while 15 percent used them for work. In every country covered, personal use is more common than work-related use, although the gap varies widely.
For example, in the Netherlands, usage is almost evenly split, with 28 per cent using AI for personal reasons and 27 per cent for work. In contrast, Greece shows a much wider gap, at 41 per cent for personal use versus 16 per cent for work, a difference of 25 percentage points.
The adoption rates are much lower in the workplace, “possibly because it is still unclear what to use it for with a positive contribution,” according to van Noordt.
In the EU, only 9 percent of people used AI tools for formal education. This share is highest in Sweden and Switzerland, both at 21 percent, while Hungary records the lowest rate at just 1 percent.