A 2025 EU-wide survey shows that hostile and degrading content remains a widespread part of the online experience across Europe. On average, 42.3% of internet users in the

European Union reported encountering messages they perceived as hostile or demeaning toward specific individuals or social groups.

The figures are based on data from 20 EU countries where comparable statistics were available, highlighting significant differences between member states.

Big differences across countries

Exposure to hostile online content varies widely across Europe. In several countries, more than half of internet users reported seeing such messages:

- Hungary — 60.9%

- Finland — 56.7%

- Slovakia — 56.2%

At the other end of the scale, much lower levels were recorded in:

- Latvia — 29.3%

- Greece — 29.4%

- Germany — 33.7%

- Lithuania — 33.8%

Who is being targeted online?

The survey also breaks down the types of groups most often targeted by hostile or degrading messages. The most commonly reported targets were people based on:

- Political or social views: 33.7%

- Racial or ethnic origin: 25.5%

- Sexual orientation: 23.4%

- Religion or belief: 22.8%

Less frequently, respondents reported hostility directed at people due to sex (16.9%), disability (11.5%), age (8.8%), or other personal characteristics (8.5%).

A growing concern in digital spaces

The findings highlight how common exposure to harmful or degrading content has become for European internet users, while also showing sharp regional differences. They also point to the continued vulnerability of groups targeted based on identity, beliefs, or background in online environments. Photo by Brian Kerrigan, Wikimedia commons.