Europe’s Online Spending Is Led by Over-45s, While Emerging Markets Are Powered by Younger Buyers

More than half of online spending in Europe’s largest digital economies now comes from consumers aged over 45, according to new data from EBANX and World Data Lab. The findings, published in the Beyond Borders 2026 report, point to a marked divide between mature e-commerce markets and faster-growing emerging economies.

Across Italy, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, consumers over 45 account for an average of 53% of total online purchase value. Italy records the highest share at 60%, placing it alongside Japan at the top of the global ranking. Germany and France both stand at 54%, while the UK comes in at 49%. In the United States, the same age group represents 50% of online spending.

The picture is notably different in many emerging markets, where digital commerce is being driven by younger consumers. Buyers under 30 account for 65% of online spending in Nigeria, 62% in Kenya, 52% in Egypt, 51% in the Philippines, 47% in India and 44% in Malaysia. In Latin America, the split is more balanced, but younger consumers still represent a larger share of e-commerce spending than in Europe’s biggest markets.

The report argues that this divergence reflects how digital commerce developed in different regions. In established markets, e-commerce grew on the back of cards, higher disposable income and long-established retail infrastructure. In many emerging economies, by contrast, digital commerce expanded through mobile-first and instant payment models, bringing younger consumers into the online economy earlier and more directly.

That shift is also visible in the broader role of e-commerce in household spending. Online channels account for an average of 7.7% of total household expenditure across the four European countries analysed. In India, that share has already reached 22%, behind only China and South Korea and ahead of Indonesia. Nigeria leads in Africa with 15%, while Brazil tops Latin America at 11.5%.

Growth projections reinforce the contrast. Consumer spending in emerging markets is forecast to rise by 94% over the next decade, compared with 49% in developed economies. Southeast Asia and India are expected to grow by 147% over the same period, while the highest projected rates in Europe are 55% for the UK and 37% for Germany.

The report also highlights a widening difference in the composition of online spending. In the four European markets studied, rich and upper middle-class consumers account for an average of 54% of e-commerce value today, a figure expected to rise to 60% by 2035. In emerging markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America, however, e-commerce growth is being driven more heavily by middle-income consumers.

This is reflected in the evolution of payment methods. Account-to-account payments already represent 60% of online transactions in India and 45% in Brazil. EBANX, citing PCMI data, said Brazil’s share is expected to reach 50% by 2028, while Colombia, Nigeria and the Philippines are also on track to see A2A payments overtake cards in e-commerce over the coming years.

Taken together, the data suggests that the consumer profile familiar to many European and US businesses — older, wealthier and card-based — no longer reflects the broader global digital commerce landscape.

About the Company

EBANX is a payments company focused on connecting global businesses with consumers in emerging markets. The company works with merchants seeking to access regions such as Latin America, Africa and Asia through local payment methods and market-specific infrastructure. World Data Lab is a data enterprise specialising in consumer spending and demographic forecasting.

Why This Matters to FinanceX Readers

The findings are relevant because they challenge assumptions about who is driving digital commerce growth globally. For payment providers, merchants, investors and fintech strategists, the report points to a structural divide between mature markets and high-growth economies. It also underlines the importance of local payment rails, financial inclusion and demographic shifts in shaping the next phase of cross-border e-commerce.