Over a half of the European Union’s households have access to broadband internet connection, but Bulgaria’s take-up is among the lowest, at 30%.

A report by Eurostat, published on Tuesday, shows that Bulgarian access to the internet has increased since 2007, from 19% of households to 30%. During the same time, broadband access has grown from 15% to 26%.

These figures are, however, among the lowest of the 27 EU member states. Serbia shows a growth from 26% to 37% in internet access, with 23% now on broadband. Romania currently has 38% internet penetration, with 24% broadband access.

Across the European Union, 65% of households had internet access, compare with 60% at the start of 2008. Broadband connections accounted for 56%, a rise from 49% in 2008.

The highest rates of internet access are in the Netherlands (90%), Luxembourg (87%), and Sweden (86%). The most prolific broadband users are in Sweden, the Netherlands and Denmark, with between 76% and 80% access.

Almost 75% of the population between 16 and 24 used the internet daily, compared with almost 50% in the age group between 16 and 74. Of this wider group, some 5% of Bulgarians used the internet for online shopping, compared with an average of 37% across Europe, and 66% in Lithuania.

Overall, men were more likely to shop online than women.