Skopje, 24 August 2022 (MIA) – A total of 72% of internet users in North Macedonia read news online, according to Eurostat research. Of the countries in the region, as many as 90% of Greeks read news online, followed by Montenegrins – 80% and Serbs – 77%, and they’re followed by Albanians – 58%. 2021 data show that 72% of EU internet users aged 16-74 read online news sites, newspapers or news magazines. Among EU Member States, the highest percentages of internet users reading news online were registered in Finland (93%), Lithuania and Czech Republic (both 92%) and Croatia and Greece (both 90%). The lowest usage was reported in Romania (59%), Germany (62%), France (63%), Italy (64%) and Belgium (67%). Compared with 2016, internet usage for reading online news increased more among women than men in 2021, but in general, men were more likely to use the internet for reading news than women (74% vs 71%). When considering age, reading ‘online news sites/newspapers/news magazines’ was the most popular in the age range of 25-54 years (75%). The percentage of internet users increased the most in rural areas (65% in 2016 to 69% in 2021). People with high formal education (85%) were generally more likely to use the internet for ’reading online new sites/newspapers/news magazines’ than those who had not achieved such a level of education (57%). dk/ba/