Cyprus Leads EU in Youth Social Media Usage

Cyprus recorded the highest rate of online social network use among young people in the European Union in 2025. According to data published by Eurostat, 98.25% of individuals aged 16 to 29 in Cyprus reported using social networks, placing the country first among the 19 EU member states for which data were available.

The findings highlight a significant trend in digital engagement across the bloc. Across the European Union, 89.3% of people aged 16 to 29 used social platforms in 2025, a figure that stands well above the general population usage rate of 67.3%.

EU Youth Engagement Rankings

Cyprus leads the rankings for youth social network adoption, followed by several other member states with high levels of engagement. The top four countries for youth usage include:

• Cyprus: 98.25% (also cited as 98.3%)
• Czechia: 97.2%
• Denmark: 96.9%
• Finland: 96.6%

At the opposite end of the scale, the lowest rates of social network use among the 16-to-29 age group were recorded in Italy at 80.3%, Germany at 84.2%, and Luxembourg at 84.8%.

Eurostat defines the use of social networks as participating in these platforms, which includes activities such as creating a user profile and posting messages on platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.

Generational Divide and Population Gaps

The data reveals a clear generational divide in digital engagement across the EU. However, the gap between young people and the broader population varies significantly by country. In Cyprus, the disparity is relatively limited; 86.5% of the general population uses social networks, compared to 98.3% of youth, resulting in a difference of 11.8 percentage points.

Cyprus ranks third in the EU for the smallest gap between youth and general population usage. The smallest disparities were found in Denmark, with a gap of 7.2 percentage points (89.7% general population versus 96.9% youth), and Malta, with a gap of 10.3 percentage points (81.6% general population versus 91.9% youth).

Conversely, several countries showed much larger generational gaps. The most significant differences were observed in:

• Croatia: 29.2 percentage points (61.5% general population versus 90.7% youth)
• Austria: 28.2 percentage points (67.9% general population versus 96.1% youth)
• Poland: 27.2 percentage points

widespread adoption is evident across the bloc, with more than 90% of young people using social networks in 19 out of 27 EU countries.

Usage Trends Across Age and Gender in Cyprus

Social network usage in Cyprus remains high beyond the youth demographic. Data shows that 94.72% of people aged 35-44 and 88.34% of those aged 45-54 use these platforms. Use continues among older groups, with 77.75% of those aged 55-65 and 57.70% of those aged 65-74 reporting usage.

Gender-based data for Cyprus also indicates high levels of adoption. Among young people aged 16-29, usage is 98.31% for men and 98.17% for women. In the 25-64 age group, the rates are 89.28% for men and 91.10% for women.