The 10 countries most obsessed with online shopping

In the years since the Covid-19 pandemic began, online shopping has transformed from a helpful tool to something approaching a necessity for many people.

In the United States, for example, ecommerce leapt from making up 11.1% of total retail sales in 2019, to 15.6% in 2023 – a number that is expected to keep growing, according to Statista. In some categories, including fashion retail and consumer electronics, those percentages are even higher.

A recent analysis by online clothing company Public Desire ranked the countries most obsessed with online shopping, based on several metrics, including time spent online weekly, the percentage of people shopping online monthly, and the average percentage of income spent online.

The study highlighted the shifting roles of social media platforms, like TikTok, on growing sales and connecting with more customers.

“The future of e-commerce is being shaped by the integration of social media and mobile payments. What’s fascinating is that a country’s digital payment infrastructure now predicts online shopping engagement better than its economic status,” a Public Desire spokesperson said about the study.

“We’re seeing this especially in social commerce, where consumers spend considerable time browsing and engaging with shopping content as part of their daily social media routine.”

Continue reading to learn which countries are the most obsessed with online shopping, according to Public Desire.

French people are the tenth-most obsessed with online shopping. In France, people spend an average of 4.3% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of one hour and 45 minutes shopping online each week.

Swedish people are the ninth-most obsessed with online shopping. In Sweden, people spend an average of 3.1% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of 38 minutes weekly shopping online.

Polish people are the eighth-most obsessed with online shopping. In Poland, people spend an average of 3.1% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of one hour and 44 minutes weekly shopping online.

Dutch people are the seventh-most obsessed with online shopping. In the Netherlands, people spend an average of 5% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of two hours and 12 minutes weekly shopping online.

Americans are the sixth-most obsessed with online shopping. In the U.S., people spend an average of 4.3% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of two hours and 5 minutes weekly shopping online.

Mexicans are the fifth-most obsessed with online shopping. In Mexico, people spend an average of 5.5 % of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of two hours and 52 minutes weekly shopping online.

British people are the fourth-most obsessed with online shopping. In the U.K., people spend an average of 8.8 % of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of two hours and four minutes weekly shopping online.

Taiwanese people are the third-most obsessed with online shopping. In Taiwan, people spend an average of 6.1% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of four hours and 27 minutes weekly shopping online.

South Koreans are the second-most obsessed with online shopping. In South Korea, people spend an average of 8.5% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of four hours and 39 minutes weekly shopping online.

Chinese people are the most obsessed with online shopping. In China, people spend an average of 3.8% of their income on ecommerce and dedicate an average of eight hours and 5 minutes weekly shopping online.

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