Online Course Participation by Country (2026)
What percentage of people in your country have taken an online course? This indicator measures the share of adults aged 15-74 who have participated in online learning through digital platforms, including MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), professional development courses, and educational content delivered via the internet. Online course participation represents a crucial digital learning skill that enables continuous education and professional development.
Online course participation reflects the ability and willingness to engage in digital learning experiences through platforms like Coursera, edX, Khan Academy, or institutional learning management systems. This includes completing structured courses, watching educational videos, participating in virtual classrooms, and accessing digital learning materials. A rate of 25% means one in four adults has taken an online course, while the remaining three-quarters rely on traditional in-person education or have not engaged in formal learning recently. These digital learning skills are increasingly important for career advancement and lifelong learning. As education systems digitize and remote learning becomes mainstream, the ability to participate in online courses enables access to global educational resources, professional certifications, and skill development opportunities that may not be available locally. Brunei leads globally with 71.1% of adults having taken online courses, followed by Kuwait (62.6%) and the United Arab Emirates (58.0%). These Gulf countries demonstrate exceptional digital learning adoption, reflecting strong government investment in education technology, high internet penetration, and cultural emphasis on continuous learning. Bahrain (39.9%) and Oman (41.4%) also show high participation rates in the region. These high-performing countries typically combine excellent digital infrastructure, government support for online education initiatives, and populations with strong digital literacy skills. The COVID-19 pandemic significantly accelerated online learning adoption globally, with many countries showing dramatic increases in 2020-2021 that have partially sustained through 2023-2024. The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented shift toward online learning globally. Countries like Spain jumped from 12.5% (2017) to 27.8% (2021), while Finland increased from 13.4% (2016) to 28.2% (2021). This represents the largest educational disruption in modern history, forcing rapid adoption of digital learning platforms and skills. Post-pandemic patterns show interesting variations. Some countries maintained elevated levels, suggesting permanent behavioral change toward digital learning. Others experienced partial declines as in-person education resumed, but generally remained above pre-pandemic baselines. Nordic countries like Norway (26.0%) and Sweden (17.9%) show sustained high participation, reflecting strong educational technology infrastructure. Developing countries showed more modest increases, often constrained by internet access, device availability, and digital literacy gaps. However, countries like China (29.8%) and Malaysia (26.3%) demonstrated significant growth, benefiting from government digitalization initiatives and expanding internet infrastructure. Multiple factors limit online course participation globally. Digital infrastructure constraints are fundamental—reliable internet access and appropriate devices are prerequisites for online learning. Many developing countries lack the technological foundation necessary for widespread digital education participation. Digital literacy gaps significantly impact participation rates. Online learning requires skills beyond basic internet use, including navigating learning platforms, managing digital files, participating in virtual discussions, and self-directed learning capabilities. Older adults often face particular challenges adapting to digital learning environments and may prefer traditional classroom instruction. Language barriers compound these challenges when course content is primarily available in major international languages. Economic constraints limit access to paid courses and quality devices needed for effective online learning. Additionally, cultural preferences for face-to-face instruction and concerns about online education quality affect adoption rates in many regions. Projections for 2026 show varied patterns reflecting each country's unique digital learning landscape and post-pandemic normalization. High-performing Gulf countries like Brunei (73.1%) and Kuwait (56.3%) are approaching practical ceilings with modest growth, as they have already achieved exceptional participation rates. These countries benefit from continued government investment in digital education and high digital literacy levels. Developed countries with older data show significant catch-up potential. The United States projects to 28.4% based on massive expansion of online learning platforms and corporate training programs since 2015. Canada projects to 37.0%, reflecting strong government support for digital skills development and widespread adoption of online professional development during and after the pandemic. European countries demonstrate post-COVID stabilization patterns. Countries that experienced dramatic pandemic spikes are projected to maintain elevated but normalized levels—Spain stabilizes around 27.0%, while Nordic countries like Norway (26.5%) and Finland (27.0%) maintain high participation reflecting strong educational technology infrastructure and cultural acceptance of digital learning. Emerging markets show diverse trajectories based on infrastructure development and education system digitalization. Malaysia projects to 28.8%, benefiting from government digital economy initiatives and expanding internet access. China's projection to 32.0% reflects massive investment in online education platforms and digital skills training. However, countries with limited infrastructure like Bangladesh (1.5%) and Uzbekistan (1.9%) show minimal growth due to persistent access barriers. This analysis uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) data from ICT skills surveys across 87 countries (2010-2024). The data measures self-reported behavior among individuals aged 15-74 who completed an online course in any subject, including formal education courses, professional development, and informal learning through digital platforms. The 2026 estimates are contextual projections, not formal forecasts or exact numerical predictions. They represent likely direction and relative magnitude based on country-level assessment incorporating local context. For each country, we evaluated historical trends (computing year-over-year changes where multiple data points exist), education system digitalization, internet infrastructure quality, COVID-19 impact and recovery patterns, regional context, and data reliability. Countries with clear trends and recent data use those observed patterns as a foundation, while countries with limited or old data are assessed using regional benchmarks and comparable country analysis. All projections account for practical ceilings at high participation levels (realistic maximum ~70-75%) and growth constraints based on infrastructure and digital literacy capacity. Values are rounded to reflect inherent uncertainty. All values represent estimated shares for 2026, not direct survey measurements. Rather than applying uniform formulas, each country receives individual contextual evaluation. Our process: (1) Compute historical annual change rates from available data points (e.g., if 2019: 15% and 2023: 25%, annual rate = +2.5%/year), (2) Evaluate whether this rate is sustainable given education system development level and infrastructure quality, (3) Analyze digital learning sector developments during the data period including online learning platform expansion (Coursera, edX, Khan Academy growth), COVID-19 acceleration of digital education adoption, education system digitalization and remote learning infrastructure, government education technology policies and investment, internet penetration and device accessibility improvements, and digital literacy program implementation, (4) Compare with regional context and comparable countries to validate reasonableness, (5) Adjust for baseline value and practical ceiling effects (higher baselines approaching 70-75% maximum), (6) Consider what happened in the country during any data gap—for countries with old data, we assess education sector development trajectory rather than assuming stagnation. Countries showing COVID-19 spikes (sudden increases in 2020-2021) are analyzed considering both pandemic acceleration and post-pandemic normalization patterns. For countries with declining trends, we maintain or allow modest decline when educationally justified. Specific data quality considerations: Multiple countries show COVID-19 impact with dramatic increases in 2020-2021 followed by partial normalization in 2022-2024. Spain, Finland, Norway, and 25 other countries experienced 2-3x increases during pandemic lockdowns, with projections based on post-pandemic stabilization patterns rather than peak values. Eleven countries have data from 2010-2018 (United States, Jamaica, Botswana, and 8 others). For these countries, we assessed 2010-2026 digital learning sector developments: massive online course platform emergence and growth, corporate online training expansion, government digital skills initiatives, and internet infrastructure improvements globally. These contextual factors are used qualitatively to inform direction and magnitude, not as precise quantitative inputs. Developed countries with old data project significant growth (e.g., United States 13.4% to 28.4%) reflecting 11 years of online education revolution. Qatar shows declining trends (8.5% in 2015 to 1.7% in 2020) that may reflect changing survey methodology or preference shifts toward informal digital learning rather than structured online courses. Brunei, Kuwait, UAE approach practical participation ceilings (60-75%). Even in high-adoption contexts, full participation is unrealistic due to age structure, educational preferences, internet access limitations, and varying learning needs—realistic ceiling is 70-75%, not 100%.Understanding Online Course Participation
Online Course Participation by Country (2026)
1
73.1%
2
56.3%
3
52.2%
4
42.4%
5
37.3%
6
37%
7
31.8%
8
31.8%
9
28.8%
10
28.4%
11
27.9%
12
27.8%
13
27.3%
14
27%
15
26.8%
16
24.6%
17
24.4%
18
24.1%
19
23.9%
20
23.7%
21
23.4%
22
23.3%
23
22%
24
21.4%
25
21.2%
26
21%
27
20.1%
28
18.9%
29
18.4%
30
18.4%
31
17.8%
32
17.7%
33
17.2%
34
16.9%
35
16.3%
36
16.1%
37
15.8%
38
15.7%
39
15.7%
40
15.2%
41
14.8%
42
14.7%
43
14.1%
44
14.1%
45
13.8%
46
13.6%
47
13.3%
48
13.3%
49
13.2%
50
13%
51
11.7%
52
11.5%
53
10.9%
54
10.8%
55
10.8%
56
10.6%
57
10.4%
58
10.3%
59
10.3%
60
10.2%
61
9.5%
62
9.3%
63
9.1%
64
9%
65
8.3%
66
8.2%
67
8%
68
7.8%
69
7.6%
70
5.8%
71
5.6%
72
5.4%
73
5.3%
74
5.2%
75
4.9%
76
4.8%
77
4.4%
78
4.3%
79
4.2%
80
3.6%
81
3.3%
82
2.3%
83
2.3%
84
2.2%
85
1.9%
86
1.5%
87
1.2%
Global Leaders in Online Learning
COVID-19 Impact on Digital Learning
Barriers to Online Learning Participation
2026 Projections and Digital Learning Evolution
Online Course Participation by Country (2026)
#
1
71.1 (2022)
73.1%
2
62.6 (2023)
56.3%
3
58.0 (2023)
52.2%
4
39.9 (2023)
42.4%
5
41.4 (2024)
37.3%
6
33.0 (2022)
37%
7
35.3 (2023)
31.8%
8
30.8 (2023)
31.8%
9
26.3 (2023)
28.8%
10
13.4 (2015)
28.4%
11
24.9 (2021)
27.9%
12
26.8 (2023)
27.8%
13
26.3 (2023)
27.3%
14
25.0 (2024)
27%
15
29.8 (2022)
26.8%
16
21.6 (2017)
24.6%
17
21.4 (2018)
24.4%
18
26.8 (2023)
24.1%
19
26.5 (2023)
23.9%
20
20.7 (2023)
23.7%
21
26.0 (2023)
23.4%
22
21.3 (2023)
23.3%
23
21.0 (2023)
22%
24
23.8 (2023)
21.4%
25
23.6 (2023)
21.2%
26
18.0 (2021)
21%
27
17.1 (2022)
20.1%
28
15.9 (2023)
18.9%
29
20.4 (2023)
18.4%
30
20.4 (2023)
18.4%
31
16.8 (2023)
17.8%
32
15.7 (2018)
17.7%
33
14.7 (2019)
17.2%
34
15.9 (2022)
16.9%
35
18.1 (2024)
16.3%
36
17.9 (2024)
16.1%
37
14.8 (2023)
15.8%
38
17.4 (2023)
15.7%
39
13.2 (2020)
15.7%
40
16.9 (2023)
15.2%
41
12.3 (2018)
14.8%
42
12.7 (2014)
14.7%
43
15.7 (2023)
14.1%
44
11.6 (2013)
14.1%
45
15.3 (2023)
13.8%
46
15.1 (2024)
13.6%
47
12.3 (2023)
13.3%
48
15.3 (2021)
13.3%
49
10.7 (2016)
13.2%
50
14.4 (2024)
13%
51
9.2 (2016)
11.7%
52
12.8 (2023)
11.5%
53
12.1 (2023)
10.9%
54
12.0 (2023)
10.8%
55
8.3 (2020)
10.8%
56
9.6 (2022)
10.6%
57
11.6 (2024)
10.4%
58
7.8 (2023)
10.3%
59
9.3 (2023)
10.3%
60
7.7 (2023)
10.2%
61
7.0 (2022)
9.5%
62
6.8 (2023)
9.3%
63
10.1 (2024)
9.1%
64
6.5 (2022)
9%
65
9.2 (2023)
8.3%
66
7.2 (2023)
8.2%
67
5.5 (2022)
8%
68
5.3 (2023)
7.8%
69
5.1 (2021)
7.6%
70
4.8 (2023)
5.8%
71
4.6 (2016)
5.6%
72
4.4 (2015)
5.4%
73
5.9 (2023)
5.3%
74
5.8 (2024)
5.2%
75
3.9 (2023)
4.9%
76
5.3 (2024)
4.8%
77
3.4 (2019)
4.4%
78
2.3 (2014)
4.3%
79
3.2 (2023)
4.2%
80
2.6 (2023)
3.6%
81
2.3 (2023)
3.3%
82
1.8 (2023)
2.3%
83
1.8 (2020)
2.3%
84
1.7 (2022)
2.2%
85
1.4 (2023)
1.9%
86
1.0 (2023)
1.5%
87
1.7 (2020)
1.2%
Methodology and Data Sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What constitutes online course participation and why is it important for digital skills?
A: Online course participation refers to completing structured learning through digital platforms, including MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), professional development courses, and educational content delivered via the internet. For example, a rate of 30% means three out of ten adults have taken an online course, while seven have not engaged in formal digital learning. These skills are increasingly important as education and professional development shift online. People with online learning experience can access global educational resources, earn professional certifications, and develop skills that may not be available locally. In professional contexts, online learning skills enable continuous skill development and career advancement. The ability to participate in digital learning also provides access to free and low-cost educational opportunities that can improve economic prospects and personal development.
Q: Why do online course participation rates vary so dramatically between countries?
A: Online course participation varies due to multiple interconnected factors. Digital infrastructure development is fundamental—countries with reliable internet access and widespread device ownership like Brunei (71.1%) and Kuwait (62.6%) show high participation, while countries with limited connectivity show lower rates. Education system digitalization matters significantly; countries with strong online education platforms and government support for digital learning show higher adoption. The COVID-19 pandemic created dramatic but temporary increases in many countries as lockdowns forced online learning adoption. Cultural attitudes toward digital education vary; some societies embrace online learning while others prefer traditional classroom instruction. Economic development affects both infrastructure and individual capacity to access online courses. Digital literacy levels influence ability to navigate online learning platforms effectively. Lower-participation countries like Bangladesh (1.0%) and Uzbekistan (1.4%) face multiple barriers: limited internet infrastructure, low device ownership, digital literacy gaps, language barriers in course content, and preference for traditional education methods. Additionally, the availability of quality online content in local languages significantly impacts adoption rates.
Data Disclaimer: Projected data (future years) are estimates based on mathematical models. Actual values may differ. Learn about our methodology →
Sources
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Updated: 28.01.2026https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/browser/EDUCATION/UIS-SDG4Monitoring/t4.4/i4.4.1
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