Eurostat reports on online hate speech exposure among EU citizens in 2025

Data published by Eurostat in 2025 indicates that exposure to hostile or derogatory online content is more prevalent among younger age groups across the European Union. Across the EU, 54% of users aged 25-34 and 53.7% of users aged 16-24 reported encountering such content. Exposure rates generally decrease with age: 46.4% for those aged 35-44, 38.9% for 45-54, 32.8% for 55-64, and 28.1% for 65-74. In Cyprus, the overall rate of exposure was 38.98%. Specifically in Cyprus, 49.47% of users aged 25-34, 35.87% of those aged 16-24, and 38.76% of those aged 45-54 experienced hostility. The motivation behind these messages in Cyprus included political or social reasons (31.52%), sexual orientation (29.10%), and racial or ethnic origin (26.2%). Despite 25-34 year olds recording the highest rates, Eurostat identified the 16-24 age group as particularly vulnerable.