How Spending on E-Learning and Professional Training Varies

According to the Statista Global Consumer Survey, emerging markets had the highest shares of people who had spent money on e-learning or other professional trainings in the twelve months prior to the 2021-22 survey. In India, Brazil and China as well as Mexico, the number was around half of the online adult population or even exceeded it. In India, 69 percent of urban Indians said they had recently spent money in this way.

Online trainings were the most popular, accounting for around half of all professional training courses purchased per country. Consulting with a business or life coach was also exceptionally popular in India. As many e-learning contents are presented in English, Indians as well as South Africans have an advantage accessing them. When it comes to the most prestigious online learning opportunities - university courses and classes - these are dominated by English-language offers, the Statista Digital Market Outlook found.

In Europe, fewer people engaged in paid-for e-learning and professional training. The most active were Spaniards with an engagement of 34 percent of respondents. Brits were among the least convinced of paying for online trainings and the like, with just 16 percent participating in them within the past year. Only France (16 percent), Finland (15 percent) and the Netherlands (15 percent) exhibited equally low or even lower rates of participation in the survey of 21 countries.