What share of workers in each EU country use generative AI for work?
In 2025, between 9 percent of workers (Romania) and 37 percent (Netherlands) had used generative AI for work in the previous three months; the EU figure was 22 percent. Germany was at 21 percent, France 25, Spain 26 and Portugal 28. Surveys a year later with broader questions find higher shares, up to about half of workers.
- Medium confidence
- 5 primary sources
- 2025 to 2026
- Last checked
Every study on one scale
Chart values as text
- Scale: % of workers using generative AI for work, 2025. Shaded range: 9–37% across EU countries.
- Eurostat, Netherlands (top) (2025): Netherlands 37.1%
- Eurostat, EU (2025): EU 21.8%
- Eurostat, Germany (2025): Germany 20.8%
- Eurostat, Romania (lowest) (2025): Romania 8.6%
Why medium confidence: The country figures are official, harmonized statistics, and an independent survey correlates 0.88 with them, so the ranking is solid. The level is less certain: the data describe early 2025, and newer surveys with broader wording find higher shares.
Studies without a figure on this scale are listed in the table only.
Sources
| Study | Creator | Year | Sample | Method | Figure | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals: use of generative AI tools (dataset isoc_ai_iaiu) | Eurostat | 2025 | Official household survey in all EU countries, mostly second quarter of 2025 | Self-reported use of generative AI tools for work in the previous 3 months, employed people aged 16 to 74 | Netherlands 37.1%, Finland 36.9%, Denmark 35.0%, Sweden 29.9%, Portugal 27.6%, Spain 26.1%, France 24.6%, Germany 20.8%, Italy 12.5%, Romania 8.6%; Norway 43.8%; EU 21.8% “Use of generative AI tools: for professional (work) purposes” | ec.europa.eu ↗ |
| Individuals: use of generative AI tools (dataset isoc_ai_iaiu) | Eurostat | 2025 | Same survey, all EU countries | Same definition | 21.8% of employed people; 27.6% in non-manual jobs, 5.3% in manual jobs | ec.europa.eu ↗ |
| Individuals: use of generative AI tools (dataset isoc_ai_iaiu) | Eurostat | 2025 | Same survey, Germany | Same definition | Germany 20.8% for work; 36.7% for any purpose | ec.europa.eu ↗ |
| Individuals: use of generative AI tools (dataset isoc_ai_iaiu) | Eurostat | 2025 | Same survey, Romania | Same definition | Romania 8.6% | ec.europa.eu ↗ |
| Mind the Gap: AI Adoption in Europe and the US (St. Louis Fed Working Paper 2026-003) | Alexander Bick, Adam Blandin, David J. Deming, Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln and Jonas Jessen | 2026 | About 3,000 workers per country, January to February 2026 | Online panel weighted to labor force surveys; the same question in each country | Netherlands and Sweden 35.6%, Germany 31.5%, France 28.1%, Italy 25.6%; correlation with Eurostat country rates 0.88 “Do you use Generative AI for your job? (No/Yes)” | doi.org ↗ |
How many European workers use AI at work in 2026?
About a third to a half, in surveys with broader questions. 34.5% of employed people in 18 EU countries used AI for work in February to March 2026 (European Commission). 52% of workers in 11 euro area countries used AI in their work in 2026 (ECB, any AI tool). In Germany, 48% of workers use AI at work at any frequency, and 8% daily (Bitkom, 2026).
| Study | Creator | Year | Sample | Method | Figure | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI adoption and the productivity promise: what workers report (ECB Blog) | European Central Bank | 2026 | About 20,000 people a month in 11 euro area countries | Consumer Expectations Survey; any AI tool, no time window | 52% of employed workers use AI in their work (26% in 2024, 41% in 2025) “A majority of workers now report using AI for work” | ecb.europa.eu ↗ |
| Ein Drittel nutzt KI mindestens einmal pro Woche (press release, 28 April 2026) | Bitkom | 2026 | 550 employed people in Germany, by telephone, February to March 2026 | Industry association survey; any AI use at work, any frequency | 48% of German workers use AI at work: 8% daily, 18% weekly, 22% less often; 12% of users do so without their employer's knowledge “48 Prozent der Erwerbstätigen nutzen KI bei der Arbeit” | bitkom.org ↗ |
Numbers you may have seen
These figures circulate widely. Here is what the original source says.
- 15% of Europeans use generative AI for work (Eurostat). That counts everyone aged 16 to 74, including students and retirees. Among employed people it is 21.8%.
- Over half of working-age Europeans use generative AI for work. Eurostat's over 50% refers to users: 55.6% of users aged 25 to 64 use it for work, which is 18.2% of everyone that age.
- Half of German workers use AI at work (Bitkom). It counts any frequency, including 22% who use it less than weekly. Daily use is 8%; the official 2025 rate for generative AI is 20.8%.
- A third of Europeans use generative AI at work. The 32.7% is use for any purpose by all adults. Work use is 21.8% of employed people.
More from Europe
- F-345–42%Which EU countries' companies use AI the most and least?
- F-367–17 ptsHow does AI use at work in Europe compare with the US?
- F-3748–86%How do European workers feel about AI at work?
- F-3828%How ready are European companies for the EU AI Act?
- F-3953–66%How much do European firms care where their AI processes data?
- F-4012–14×How does AI investment in Europe compare with the US?
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