Doing online courses is a convenient way to learn something new or to deepen your knowledge in a specific field, for example improving your language skills, expanding your professional qualifications or simply learning something new for fun! During the current coronavirus pandemic, with people encouraged to limit their social contacts as far as possible, online courses offer a safe alternative for education and training.
In 2019, 8% of people aged 16 to 74 in the European Union (EU) reported that they did an online course in the last 3 months prior to the survey, an increase compared with 7% in 2017. Compared with 2010, the share of people doing an online course doubled from 4%.
Among the EU Member States, the Nordic countries Finland and Sweden stood out. In 2019, 21% of people aged 16 to 74 in Finland did an online course in the last 3 months, in Sweden this share was 18%. They were followed by Spain (15%), Estonia (14%), Ireland and the Netherlands (both 13%).
