Around 81% of Portuguese people between the ages of 16 and 74 read news via the Internet in 2021, above the European Union (EU) average of 72%, but the percentage in Portugal is falling, according to Eurostat.

The data released by the community statistical office, Eurostat, reveals that, last year, 81% of Portuguese Internet users aged between 16 and 74 read online news sites, newspapers or news magazines on the Internet, which represents a decrease compared to the percentage of 2020 (86%) and 2019 (83%).

Even so, Portugal remained above the European average, as in 2021, a total of 72% of EU internet users aged between 16 and 74 read online news sites, newspapers or news magazines.

Among EU member states, the highest percentages of internet users reading internet news in 2021 were recorded in Finland (93%), Lithuania and the Czech Republic (both 92%) and Croatia and Greece (both 90%).

On the other hand, the lowest percentages were registered in Romania (59%), Germany (62%), France (63%), Italy (64%) and Belgium (67%).

By age, reading Internet news sites, newspapers and news magazines was last year most popular among the 25-54 age group (75%).

Eurostat also reports that people with higher education (85%) were more likely to use the Internet to read online news than those who had not reached this level of education (57%).