Online Learning Statistics 2026
This page collects 54 figures on online learning: course platforms, language apps, online college and virtual school enrollment in the US, online learning and digital skills in Europe, adult learning participation, AI chatbots as a study tool, and edtech investment. Most figures describe 2025 and 2026, with the OECD's 2023 adult skills survey and the fall 2024 federal enrollment count as the newest data of their kind. Sources are company filings from Coursera, Udemy, Duolingo, Chegg, Stride and Pearson; official statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics, Eurostat, the OECD and the Australian Bureau of Statistics; surveys by Pew Research Center and the Learning and Work Institute; and investment tracking by HolonIQ.
By the Comredix review desk · Updated November 13, 2026 · 54 numbers drawn from 20 publishers and reports
Short answer
Coursera and Udemy, combined since May 2026, have reached more than 310 million learners, and Duolingo averaged 64.9 million daily users in the third quarter of 2026, up 29%. In the US, NCES counted 5.2 million college students studying only online in fall 2024, and in the EU 34.8% of internet users took an online course or used online learning material in 2025, according to Eurostat. Edtech venture funding was $2.6 billion in 2025, says HolonIQ, but slowed to $1.28 billion in the first nine months of 2026.
Headline numbers
- 310 millionCoursera and Udemy together had reached more than 310 million learners as of the third quarter of 2026, the first full quarter after their combination.Coursera
- 3%Measured on a combined, like-for-like basis, Coursera and Udemy revenue fell about 3% year over year in the third quarter of 2026.Coursera
- 64.9MDuolingo averaged 64.9 million daily active users in the third quarter of 2026, up from 50.5 million a year earlier.Duolingo
- 5,214,325In fall 2024, 5,214,325 US college students took all of their courses through distance education, about 26.5% of total enrollment.National Center for Education Statistics
- 34.8%In 2025, 34.8% of EU internet users took an online course or used online learning materials, up from 33.4% in 2024.Eurostat
- 42%In 2025, 42% of UK adults said they had taken part in learning in the last three years, down from 52% in 2024.Learning and Work Institute
- 54%In a fall 2025 survey, 54% of US teens ages 13 to 17 said they had used AI chatbots to get help with schoolwork.Pew Research Center
- $1.28BGlobal education venture funding was $1.28 billion in the first nine months of 2026, down 35% from the same period of 2025.HolonIQ
Reading the numbers
The large online course platforms are consolidating. Coursera's purchase of Udemy closed in May 2026, and the combined company reports more than 310 million learners, more than 1.6 million paid subscribers and nearly 12,000 enterprise customers. Sign-ups remain strong, with 29 million new registered learners at Coursera in 2025, but revenue on a like-for-like basis fell about 3% in the third quarter of 2026. Demand is shifting toward AI skills: Coursera's generative AI enrollments nearly doubled in pace in 2025, and Udemy's AI enrollments grew 120%.
Language apps are growing faster than course platforms. Duolingo's daily users rose 29% to 64.9 million in the third quarter of 2026, and paid subscribers rose 14% to 13.1 million. In formal education, online study is routine: NCES counted 10.8 million US college students taking at least one distance course in fall 2024, and 40.5% of graduate students studied fully online. Online K-12 schooling is smaller and mixed, with enrollments at Stride down 2.5% while Pearson's virtual schools grew 15% in spring 2026.
Outside the US, Eurostat shows online learning rising steadily in the EU, from 21.4% of internet users in 2019 to 34.8% in 2025, though shares range from 60.2% in the Netherlands to 11.8% in Romania. Overall adult learning is not rising with it. The Learning and Work Institute found UK participation fell 10 points to 42% in 2025, and the Australian Bureau of Statistics found study and work-related training fell to 34%. OECD data show about a third of non-formal adult learning is delivered fully online, and more than 60% is online or blended in the US.
AI chatbots are now a study tool for many young people. Pew found 54% of US teens had used a chatbot for schoolwork and 46% of adults under 30 had used ChatGPT to learn something new. That shift hurts some incumbents: Chegg's revenue fell 40% in the third quarter of 2026. Investors are cautious. HolonIQ counted $2.6 billion of edtech venture funding in 2025, then a 35% drop in the first nine months of 2026, while acquisitions rose 34%.
Online course platforms: Coursera and Udemy
- 1.
Coursera and Udemy together had reached more than 310 million learners as of the third quarter of 2026, the first full quarter after their combination.
Coursera, Coursera Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Across Coursera and Udemy, we have reached more than 310 million learners, serve more than 1.6 million Paid Subscribers and nearly 12,000 Enterprise Customers, and bring together more than 100,000 instructors and over 425 university and industry partners.
- 2.
The combined Coursera and Udemy business served nearly 12,000 enterprise customers in the third quarter of 2026.
Coursera, Coursera Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Across Coursera and Udemy, we have reached more than 310 million learners, serve more than 1.6 million Paid Subscribers and nearly 12,000 Enterprise Customers
- 3.
Coursera's revenue was $376.7 million in the third quarter of 2026, up 94% from a year earlier because Udemy's results were included after the deal closed.
Coursera, Coursera Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
We reported revenue of $376.7 million, an increase of 94% year over year driven by the post-close inclusion of Udemy's operating results.
- 4.
Measured on a combined, like-for-like basis, Coursera and Udemy revenue fell about 3% year over year in the third quarter of 2026.
Coursera, Coursera Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
On a normalized basis, revenue declined approximately 3% year over year, consistent with the near-term trends we outlined earlier this year.
- 5.
Coursera ended 2025 with 197 million cumulative registered learners after adding more than 29 million during the year.
Coursera, Coursera Q4 2025 Shareholder Letter (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, we attracted more than 29 million new registered learners, bringing our cumulative total to 197 million.
- 6.
Coursera added a record 6.8 million new registered learners in the fourth quarter of 2025, its highest fourth-quarter total.
Coursera, Coursera Q4 2025 Shareholder Letter (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In Q4, we welcomed a record 6.8 million new learners, the highest number of fourth quarter additions in Coursera’s history.
- 7.
Learners enrolled in Coursera's generative AI courses at 15 enrollments per minute in 2025, up from eight per minute in 2024.
Coursera, Coursera Q4 2025 Shareholder Letter (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
This year, learners enrolled in our catalog of more than 1,100 generative AI courses at a rate of 15 enrollments per minute, up from eight enrollments per minute in 2024.
- 8.
Enrollments in AI courses on Udemy grew 120% in 2025, and learners spent more than 700 million minutes on that content.
Udemy, Udemy Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
This demand is reflected in increasing enrollments in AI content on Udemy, which grew 120% year-over-year in 2025, with learners investing more than 700 million minutes of time to develop these critical skills.
- 9.
Udemy's consumer subscription plan passed 340,000 paid subscribers at the end of 2025, after adding nearly 50,000 in the fourth quarter.
Udemy, Udemy Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
We added nearly 50,000 paid subscribers during Q4 to reach more than 340,000 total at year end.
- 10.
Udemy's total revenue for 2025, its last full year as a standalone company, was $789.8 million.
Udemy, Udemy Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total revenue for the year of $789.8 million was at the high end of the full year guidance range.
Language learning apps
- 11.
Duolingo averaged 64.9 million daily active users in the third quarter of 2026, up from 50.5 million a year earlier.
Duolingo, Duolingo Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Daily Active Users 50.5M 64.9M 29% YoY
- 12.
Duolingo's daily active user growth accelerated to 29% year over year in the third quarter of 2026, from 23% in the second quarter.
Duolingo, Duolingo Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Daily active users (DAUs) accelerated for a second quarter in a row to 29% year-over-year growth, up from 23% in Q2.
- 13.
Duolingo averaged 153.1 million monthly active users in the third quarter of 2026, 13% more than a year earlier.
Duolingo, Duolingo Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
MAUs were 135.3 million and 153.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2025 and 2026, respectively, representing 13% year-over-year growth.
- 14.
Duolingo had 13.1 million paid subscribers at the end of September 2026, up 14% from 11.5 million a year earlier.
Duolingo, Duolingo Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Paid Subscribers 11.5M 13.1M at period end 14% YoY
- 15.
Duolingo's total bookings rose 12% to $316.1 million in the third quarter of 2026.
Duolingo, Duolingo Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Bookings increased 12% over the prior year on both a reported and constant-currency basis to $316.1 million, accelerating four percentage points sequentially.
- 16.
Pearson's English Language Learning revenue fell 3% in the first half of 2026, as weaker demand for the Pearson Test of English outweighed growth in courses for institutions.
Pearson, Pearson 2026 Interim Results (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
English Language Learning revenue declined 3%, with growth in Institutional more than offset by Pearson Test of English (PTE), where market conditions have become more difficult.
Chart
Duolingo daily active users, Q3 2025 vs Q3 2026 (millions)
Average daily active users in millions for the quarter ended September 30, global, Duolingo shareholder letter, November 2026.
- Q3 202550.5
- Q3 202664.9
Source: Duolingo, Duolingo Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter
Online degrees and virtual schools in the US
- 17.
In fall 2024, 10,761,754 students at US degree-granting colleges took at least one distance education course, out of 19,659,633 enrolled.
National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, Table 311.15: Students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by distance education participation, fall 2023 and fall 2024 (2025)
Exact wording at the source
Fall 2024 All students, total 19,659,633 8,897,879 10,761,754
- 18.
In fall 2024, 5,214,325 US college students took all of their courses through distance education, about 26.5% of total enrollment.
National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, Table 311.15: Students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by distance education participation, fall 2023 and fall 2024 (2025)
Exact wording at the source
Fall 2024 All students, total 19,659,633 8,897,879 10,761,754 5,547,429 5,214,325
- 19.
Of 3,273,916 postbaccalaureate students in the US in fall 2024, 1,325,644 studied exclusively through distance education, about 40.5%.
National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics, Table 311.15: Students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by distance education participation, fall 2023 and fall 2024 (2025)
Exact wording at the source
Postbaccalaureate 3,273,916 1,464,016 1,809,900 484,256 1,325,644
- 20.
Stride, the largest US provider of online K-12 schooling, averaged 241,400 enrollments in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, down 2.5% from a year earlier.
Stride, Stride reports first quarter 2027 financial results (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
First quarter enrollments averaged 241.4K, down (2.5)% compared to 247.7K enrollments in the first quarter of fiscal year 2026.
- 21.
Career Learning programs made up 112,200 of Stride's enrollments in the quarter ended September 30, 2026, up 2.0% from a year earlier.
Stride, Stride reports first quarter 2027 financial results (Oct 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Of the total enrollments, 112.2K were Career Learning enrollments, up 2.0% compared to 110.0K Career Learning enrollments in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
- 22.
Pearson's Virtual Learning business, which runs online K-12 schools, grew revenue 19% in the first half of 2026.
Pearson, Pearson 2026 Interim Results (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Virtual Learning revenue grew 19%
- 23.
Enrollment growth at Pearson's virtual schools reached 15% in the spring 2026 semester.
Pearson, Pearson 2026 Interim Results (Jul 2026)
Exact wording at the source
with enrolment growth accelerating to 15% in the Spring semester, alongside funding growth and favourable mix.
Online learning and digital skills in Europe
- 24.
In 2025, 34.8% of EU internet users took an online course or used online learning materials, up from 33.4% in 2024.
Eurostat, Online learning increasingly popular in the EU (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, 34.8% of EU internet users reported taking an online course or using online learning materials.
- 25.
Only 21.4% of EU internet users used online courses or learning materials in 2019, compared with 34.8% in 2025.
Eurostat, Online learning increasingly popular in the EU (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
This share is a 1.4 percentage point (pp) increase from 2024 (33.4%) and a substantial jump from 2019, when less than a quarter of internet users (21.4%) had used these educational resources.
- 26.
In 2025, 17.3% of EU internet users took an online course, with Ireland highest at 29.6%.
Eurostat, Online learning increasingly popular in the EU (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Among specific online learning methods, 17.3% of internet users took an online course in 2025, with the highest prevalence in Ireland (29.6%), Finland (29.3%) and the Netherlands (28.5%).
- 27.
In 2025, 30.5% of EU internet users used online learning materials, led by the Netherlands at 55.1%.
Eurostat, Online learning increasingly popular in the EU (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
At the same time, 30.5% of internet users used online learning materials, with the highest share in the Netherlands (55.1%), Ireland (50.4%) and Hungary (46.4%).
- 28.
The Netherlands had the highest share of internet users learning online in the EU in 2025, at 60.2%.
Eurostat, Online learning increasingly popular in the EU (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
The Netherlands recorded the highest share of internet users engaged in online learning or using online learning materials (60.2%), followed by Ireland (59.7%), Finland (50.7%) and Sweden (50.6%).
- 29.
Romania had the lowest share of internet users learning online in the EU in 2025, at 11.8%.
Eurostat, Online learning increasingly popular in the EU (Mar 2026)
Exact wording at the source
By contrast, online education was less prevalent in Romania (11.8%), Bulgaria (18.4%) and Cyprus (21.0%).
- 30.
In 2025, 40% of EU citizens lacked basic digital skills, even though 93% used the internet at least once a week.
Eurostat, Digitalisation in Europe, 2026 edition (2026)
Exact wording at the source
In 2025, 93% of people in the EU used the internet at least once a week. However, 40% of EU citizens lack basic or above basic digital skills.
- 31.
The Netherlands had the highest share of people with at least basic digital skills in the EU in 2025, at 84%.
Eurostat, Digitalisation in Europe, 2026 edition (2026)
Exact wording at the source
Across the EU countries, the share of people with basic or above basic digital skills in 2025 was highest in the Netherlands (84%), Ireland (83%), Denmark and Finland (both 81%).
Chart
Internet users learning online, highest and lowest EU countries, 2025
Share of internet users who took an online course or used online learning materials, 2025, Eurostat.
- Netherlands60.2%
- Ireland59.7%
- Finland50.7%
- Sweden50.6%
- Cyprus21%
- Bulgaria18.4%
- Romania11.8%
Source: Eurostat, Online learning increasingly popular in the EU
Adult learning participation and how adults learn
- 32.
In 2025, 42% of UK adults said they had taken part in learning in the last three years, down from 52% in 2024.
Learning and Work Institute, The workforce learning slowdown? Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2025 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Our headline rate of participation has dropped by 10 percentage points, with 42% adults reporting taking part in learning in the last three years, down from 52% in 2024.
- 33.
About one in five UK adults (21%) were currently learning in 2025, down from 30% in 2024.
Learning and Work Institute, The workforce learning slowdown? Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2025 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Just one in five adults (21%) are currently engaged in learning of any kind, down from 30% in 2024.
- 34.
Only 21% of UK workers were learning at work in 2025, down from 28% in 2024.
Learning and Work Institute, The workforce learning slowdown? Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2025 (Nov 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Only one in five (21%) people in work are currently learning at work, down from 28% in 2024.
- 35.
Participation in work-related training or formal study in Australia fell to 34% of people aged 15 to 74 in 2024-25, from 39% in 2020-21.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Participation in work-related training or formal study falls (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Participation in work-related training or formal study fell to 34 per cent of people aged 15-74 in 2024-25, compared to 39 per cent of the same age range in 2020-21
- 36.
In 2024-25, 19% of Australians aged 15 to 74 took part in work-related training, down four percentage points from 2020-21.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Participation in work-related training or formal study falls (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
During the same period, the proportion of people participating in work-related training fell by four percentage points to 19 per cent
- 37.
Of Australians who did work-related training in 2024-25, 49% took their most recent training online or virtually, down from 55% in 2020-21.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Work-Related Training and Adult Learning, Australia, 2024-25 (Apr 2026)
Exact wording at the source
In 2024-25, of those who participated in work-related training, 49% undertook their most recent training online or virtually, compared with 55% in 2020-21.
- 38.
Across OECD countries in the 2023 Survey of Adult Skills, 8% of adults took part in formal education and 37% in non-formal learning.
OECD, Trends in Adult Learning: Where, what and how are adults learning? (Jun 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Across the OECD, only 8% of adults participate in formal education, while 37% participate in non-formal learning.
- 39.
On average across OECD countries, 34% of non-formal adult learning in 2023 was delivered online and 14% was blended.
OECD, Trends in Adult Learning: Where, what and how are adults learning? (Jun 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Online learning accounts for 34% of training, while blended learning – combining face-to-face and online elements – accounts for the remaining 14%.
- 40.
In Canada, Chile, England, Latvia and the United States, more than 60% of non-formal adult learning took place online or in blended format in 2023.
OECD, Trends in Adult Learning: Where, what and how are adults learning? (Jun 2025)
Exact wording at the source
In Canada, Chile, England (UK), Latvia and the United States, more than 60% of non-formal learning takes place at a distance, either entirely online or through a mix of online and face-to-face sessions.
- 41.
Across OECD countries, 49% of employed adults took part in non-formal learning, compared with about 34% of unemployed adults and 17% of adults outside the labor force.
OECD, Education at a Glance 2026: To what extent do adults participate in education and training? (Sep 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Although on average 49% of employed adults participate in non-formal learning across the OECD, the rate drops to about 34% for adults who are unemployed and to 17% of adults who are outside the labour force.
Chart
How non-formal adult learning is delivered, OECD average
Share of non-formal adult learning by mode of delivery, average across OECD countries, Survey of Adult Skills 2023.
- Face-to-face53%
- Online34%
- Blended14%
Source: OECD, Trends in Adult Learning: Where, what and how are adults learning?
AI chatbots as a learning tool
- 42.
In a fall 2025 survey, 54% of US teens ages 13 to 17 said they had used AI chatbots to get help with schoolwork.
Pew Research Center, How Teens Use and View AI (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
More than half of teens say they have used chatbots to search for information (57%) or get help with schoolwork (54%).
- 43.
About one in ten US teens said they do all or most of their schoolwork with chatbot help in 2025, and 21% said they do some of it that way.
Pew Research Center, How Teens Use and View AI (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
One-in-ten teens say they do all or most of their schoolwork with chatbots’ help. Larger shares say they do some (21%) or a little (23%) of their schoolwork with the help of a chatbot.
- 44.
In 2025, 59% of US teens thought using AI to cheat happened at least somewhat often at their school.
Pew Research Center, How Teens Use and View AI (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
A majority of teens (59%) think using AI to cheat is a regular occurrence at their school – happening at least somewhat often.
- 45.
In 2025, 64% of US teens said they use AI chatbots, a higher share than their parents reported.
Pew Research Center, How Teens Use and View AI (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
While about half of parents say their teen uses chatbots, higher shares of teens themselves (64%) report using them.
- 46.
By early 2025, 46% of US adults under 30 had used ChatGPT to learn something new.
Pew Research Center, 34% of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT, about double the share in 2023 (Jun 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Some 46% of all adults under 30 have used it to learn something new.
- 47.
Chegg's revenue fell 40% year over year to $46.5 million in the third quarter of 2026 as the homework help company shifted toward job skills.
Chegg, Chegg Reports Third Quarter 2026 Earnings (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Total Net Revenues of $46.5 million, a decrease of 40% year-over-year
Edtech investment
- 48.
Global edtech venture investment totaled $2.6 billion in 2025, according to HolonIQ.
HolonIQ, EdTech hits $2.6B in investment as the market stabilizes. Bigger bets in AI and workforce training. (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
2025 saw $2.6B of EdTech investment underscoring a market settling into steadier ground, backing solutions that demonstrate traction while advancing employability and AI-enabled learning.
- 49.
Edtech venture capital fell to $2.4 billion in 2024, 89% below the 2021 peak and the lowest level in about a decade.
HolonIQ, EdTech VC reached ~$2.4B for 2024, representing the lowest level of investment in a decade (Jan 2025)
Exact wording at the source
Venture capital investment in EdTech plummeted to its lowest level since 2014, reaching $2.4 billion, representing a dramatic 89% decline from the 2021 peak
- 50.
Workforce training and development accounted for 38% of edtech venture deals in 2025, ahead of K-12 at 36%.
HolonIQ, EdTech hits $2.6B in investment as the market stabilizes. Bigger bets in AI and workforce training. (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Sector patterns in 2025 largely mirrored last year, with workforce training and development again the largest category at 38% of deal volume, followed by K–12 at 36%, post-secondary at 22%, and early childhood at 4%.
- 51.
HolonIQ counted about 410 education mergers and acquisitions in 2025, up about 20% from 2024.
HolonIQ, EdTech hits $2.6B in investment as the market stabilizes. Bigger bets in AI and workforce training. (Feb 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Overall M&A activity reached about 410 transactions in 2025, including 22 private equity acquisitions, up about 20% from 2024.
- 52.
Global education venture funding was $1.28 billion in the first nine months of 2026, down 35% from the same period of 2025.
HolonIQ, Education Funding Q3 2026: Venture pulls back, buyers lean in. (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Venture funding reached $1.28B in the first nine months of 2026, down 35% from the same period last year
- 53.
Announced education acquisitions rose 34% in the first nine months of 2026, about two for every venture round.
HolonIQ, Education Funding Q3 2026: Venture pulls back, buyers lean in. (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
Over the same nine months, announced acquisitions rose 34%, about two for every venture round.
- 54.
European education venture funding fell 68% to $253 million in the first three quarters of 2026, from $782 million a year earlier.
HolonIQ, Education Funding Q3 2026: Venture pulls back, buyers lean in. (Nov 2026)
Exact wording at the source
European education venture funding was $253M in the first three quarters of 2026, against $782M a year earlier, down 68%.
Chart
Education venture funding in Europe, first nine months ($ millions)
European education venture funding in the first three quarters of each year, HolonIQ, November 2026.
- 2025$782
- 2026$253
Source: HolonIQ, Education Funding Q3 2026: Venture pulls back, buyers lean in.
Questions readers ask
- How many people use online learning platforms?
- Coursera and Udemy together report more than 310 million learners as of the third quarter of 2026, and Coursera alone had 197 million registered learners at the end of 2025. Duolingo averaged 153.1 million monthly active users and 64.9 million daily active users in the third quarter of 2026.
- How many college students study online in the US?
- NCES counted 10.8 million students at US degree-granting institutions taking at least one distance education course in fall 2024, out of 19.7 million enrolled. About 5.2 million, or 26.5%, studied exclusively online, and among graduate students the share was 40.5%.
- What share of Europeans take online courses?
- Eurostat found 34.8% of EU internet users took an online course or used online learning material in 2025, up from 21.4% in 2019. Only 17.3% took a structured online course, and the share ranged from 60.2% in the Netherlands to 11.8% in Romania.
- Is adult participation in learning going up?
- Not in every country. The Learning and Work Institute found 42% of UK adults learned in the past three years in 2025, down from 52% in 2024. The Australian Bureau of Statistics found participation in study or work-related training fell to 34% in 2024-25 from 39% in 2020-21.
- How many students use AI for schoolwork?
- Pew Research Center found 54% of US teens had used AI chatbots for schoolwork in its fall 2025 survey, and about one in ten said they do all or most of their schoolwork with chatbot help. Pew also found 46% of US adults under 30 had used ChatGPT to learn something new.
- How much money goes into edtech startups?
- HolonIQ counted $2.6 billion of global edtech venture investment in 2025, after $2.4 billion in 2024, which was 89% below the 2021 peak. Funding slowed to $1.28 billion in the first nine months of 2026, down 35%, while acquisitions rose 34%.
Where these numbers come from
We used primary publishers only: company filings and shareholder letters from Coursera, Udemy, Duolingo, Chegg, Stride and Pearson; official statistics from the National Center for Education Statistics, Eurostat, the OECD and the Australian Bureau of Statistics; surveys by Pew Research Center and the Learning and Work Institute; and venture and deal tracking by HolonIQ. Every quote was refetched from the source page. Company user counts follow each firm's own definitions: Coursera's registered learners are cumulative accounts, while Duolingo's daily and monthly users are averages of active users. Coursera's 2026 results include Udemy only from May 11, 2026, so reported growth rates overstate organic growth. NCES figures cover degree-granting US institutions in fall 2024. Eurostat figures cover internet users in the EU, not the whole population. The UK, Australian and OECD adult learning surveys use different age ranges and reference periods, so their levels are not directly comparable. HolonIQ totals are global estimates that change as deals are disclosed. We store the sentence each number appears in, and a script loads the publisher's page again to make sure that sentence is still there. Our methodology has the details.
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. Participation in work-related training or formal study falls (Apr 2026).
- Australian Bureau of Statistics. Work-Related Training and Adult Learning, Australia, 2024-25 (Apr 2026).
- Chegg. Chegg Reports Third Quarter 2026 Earnings (Nov 2026).
- Coursera. Coursera Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Oct 2026).
- Coursera. Coursera Q4 2025 Shareholder Letter (Feb 2026).
- Duolingo. Duolingo Q3 2026 Shareholder Letter (Nov 2026).
- Eurostat. Online learning increasingly popular in the EU (Mar 2026).
- Eurostat. Digitalisation in Europe, 2026 edition (2026).
- HolonIQ. EdTech hits $2.6B in investment as the market stabilizes. Bigger bets in AI and workforce training. (Feb 2026).
- HolonIQ. EdTech VC reached ~$2.4B for 2024, representing the lowest level of investment in a decade (Jan 2025).
- HolonIQ. Education Funding Q3 2026: Venture pulls back, buyers lean in. (Nov 2026).
- Learning and Work Institute. The workforce learning slowdown? Adult Participation in Learning Survey 2025 (Nov 2025).
- National Center for Education Statistics. Digest of Education Statistics, Table 311.15: Students enrolled in degree-granting postsecondary institutions, by distance education participation, fall 2023 and fall 2024 (2025).
- OECD. Trends in Adult Learning: Where, what and how are adults learning? (Jun 2025).
- OECD. Education at a Glance 2026: To what extent do adults participate in education and training? (Sep 2026).
- Pearson. Pearson 2026 Interim Results (Jul 2026).
- Pew Research Center. How Teens Use and View AI (Feb 2026).
- Pew Research Center. 34% of U.S. adults have used ChatGPT, about double the share in 2023 (Jun 2025).
- Stride. Stride reports first quarter 2027 financial results (Oct 2026).
- Udemy. Udemy Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Results (Feb 2026).
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