No country in the world has as many internet users shopping online as the Netherlands, according to a new report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). The ecommerce penetration rate is 84 percent. At least four out of five internet users in the UK, Sweden, and Denmark also shop online.

China ranks fifth and is the first non-European country in the ecommerce penetration list, as indicated in UNCTAD’s Digital Economy Report (page 145). It is important to note that these percentages reflect the proportion of internet users who shop online. In China, this proportion is relatively high, but many Chinese consumers are not yet digitally active.

Ecommerce opportunities in Southern Europe

Norway (6th), Switzerland (8th), and Germany (9th) are also high in UNCTAD’s list. Canada (7th) and South Korea complete the top 10, followed closely by the United States. France, Spain, and Italy rank much lower. In Southern Europe, many internet users are not yet online shoppers; in Italy, fewer than four in ten.

Only 39% of Italian internet users shop online.

This presents opportunities for online sellers, as indicated by the overall growth trend in recent years; in most countries, an increasing number of internet users are shopping online.

Ecommerce in the Netherlands

The ecommerce market in the Netherlands, worth nearly 35 billion euros in 2023, is quite mature, as evidenced by the large share of online shoppers and the significant number of citizens with access to high-speed internet. Bol, a local player, has been the market leader for years.

UNCTAD report

UNCTAD’s Digital Economy Report 2024 highlights the severe environmental impact of the growing digital economy. While digitalization boosts global growth, it worsens existing economic and ecological divides. Despite these challenges, developing countries have the potential to leverage the digital shift to foster development, according to the United Nations body.