How many people buy online in a foreign language?

What this figure measures

The figure is the share of EU internet users who said they buy online in a language other than their own frequently or all the time. It leaves out occasional buyers: the same Commission release reports that 42% never buy online in another language. The survey covered people who already used the internet, in early 2011, so this is a self-reported habit rather than transaction data.

How it was produced

The number was published in the European Commission's press release of 11 May 2011 announcing the Flash Eurobarometer survey on user language preferences online, which Gallup conducted for the Commission. The release describes a sample of 500 internet users per member state and 13,500 respondents in total, while the full report records 13,752 completed interviews. Respondents were asked how often they used another language for online activities such as searching for or buying products.

What it does not tell you

Because the 18% counts only frequent or constant use, reading it as the share of people who ever buy in a foreign language would be a misreading. Frequency is self-reported rather than drawn from purchase records. The survey covered only people already online in EU member states at the time, and it does not distinguish cross-border purchases from buying on domestic sites in another language.

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