Italy trails euro zone with just 19.9% AI usage as digital skills gap widens across Europe
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Italy is euro zone laggard on AI usage, official data shows
ROME, April 22 (Reuters) - Italy has one of the lowest rates of artificial intelligence use in Europe, data showed on Wednesday, highlighting a broader shortfall in digital skills in the euro zone's third-largest economy. Just 19.9% of Italians aged 16 to 74 used artificial ā intelligence tools last year, compared with a European average of 32.7%, national statistics agency ISTAT said in its first such survey. Only Romania had a lower score, with 17.8%, it added. Italy has the oldest population in the European Union, with ā a median age of 48.7 in 2024 compared with an EU average of 44.7, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat, and ā it lags many peers on key digital skills indicators. Nearly 10% of Italy's population had not ā used internet in the previous three months, according to a 2025 Eurostat ā survey. Only Poland, Portugal, Lithuania, Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia recorded higher shares. Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Gavin Jones Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab
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Italy is euro zone laggard on AI usage, official data shows
ROME, April 22 (Reuters) - Italy has one of the lowest rates of artificial intelligence use in Europe, data showed on Wednesday, highlighting a broader shortfall in digital skills in the euro zone's third-largest economy. Just 19.9% of Italians aged 16 to 74 used artificial intelligence tools last year, compared with a European average of 32.7%, national statistics agency ISTAT said in its first such survey. Only Romania had a lower score, with 17.8%, it added. Italy has the oldest population in the European Union, with a median age of 48.7 in 2024 compared with an EU average of 44.7, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat, and it lags many peers on key digital skills indicators. Nearly 10% of Italy's population had not used internet in the previous three months, according to a 2025 Eurostat survey. Only Poland, Portugal, Lithuania, Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia recorded higher shares. (Reporting by Alvise Armellini, editing by Gavin Jones)
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Italy has emerged as one of Europe's weakest performers in artificial intelligence adoption, with only 19.9% of its population using AI tools compared to a 32.7% European average. The national statistics agency ISTAT's first AI usage survey reveals how the country's aging population and broader digital skills deficiency are holding back technological progress in the euro zone's third-largest economy.
Italy Records One of Europe's Low Rates of AI Adoption
Italy has positioned itself near the bottom of European rankings for AI usage, with official data shows revealing a significant technology gap. According to the national statistics agency ISTAT's inaugural survey on artificial intelligence tool usage, only 19.9% of Italians aged 16 to 74 used AI tools last year
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. This figure falls dramatically short of the European average of 32.7%, positioning the euro zone's third-largest economy as a laggard in AI adoption across the continent. Only Romania performed worse among European Union nations, recording 17.8% usage1
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Source: Reuters
Aging Population Compounds Digital Skills Deficiency
The data from ISTAT and Eurostat points to structural challenges that extend beyond simple technology access. Italy maintains the oldest population in the European Union, with a median age of 48.7 in 2024 compared with an EU average of 44.7
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. This demographic reality correlates directly with the country's performance on key digital skills indicators, where Italy lags many peers. The aging population factor suggests that Italy faces a compounding challenge as older citizens typically demonstrate lower technology adoption rates, creating a structural barrier to closing the gap with other European nations.Related Stories
Broader Internet Usage Patterns Reveal Deeper Technology Divide
The deficiency in digital skills extends well beyond artificial intelligence tools. Nearly 10% of Italy's population had not used internet in the previous three months, according to a 2025 Eurostat survey. Only Poland, Portugal, Lithuania, Greece, Bulgaria and Croatia recorded higher shares of non-internet users across Europe
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. This baseline internet usage gap indicates that Italy's AI adoption challenges stem from fundamental digital literacy issues rather than simply a lack of interest in emerging technologies. For businesses and policymakers watching Europe's digital transformation, Italy's struggle highlights how demographic trends and foundational digital skills create barriers that could widen as AI becomes increasingly central to economic competitiveness. The question remains whether targeted digital education initiatives can overcome these structural disadvantages or if Italy will continue falling further behind its European counterparts in the race to integrate artificial intelligence into daily life and business operations.References
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