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Why does Britain buy more online than America? The closest verified like-for-like annual comparison here is 2024: e-commerce represented 16.1% of U.S. retail sales, while internet sales represented 27.1% of retail sales in Great Britain. Those figures point to a sizable difference, but they are not proof that internet access alone explains it—and the measures should not be treated as perfectly harmonized.
What the headline percentages measure
These percentages describe online sales as a share of retail sales. They do not mean that 17% or 28% of people shop online, count the number of orders, or measure online purchases as a share of all household spending.
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The geographies also differ: the U.S. Census Bureau figure covers the United States, while the Office for National Statistics (ONS) series covers Great Britain. Do not relabel the latter as the whole United Kingdom.
The fairest annual comparison available here is for 2024
| Geography | Period | Online share of retail sales | Source and release context |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Calendar year 2024 | 16.1% | U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 fourth-quarter release, published in 2025; annual estimate based on the Monthly Retail Trade Survey and administrative records. |
| Great Britain | Calendar year 2024 | 27.1% | ONS annual internet-sales series, release dated 18 September 2026. |
The U.S. Census Bureau stated: “E-commerce sales in 2024 accounted for 16.1 percent of total sales.” The two annual figures share a calendar year and a broad retail-sales denominator, making them more useful for comparison than a monthly or quarterly figure against an annual one. Their statistical methods are not established here as perfectly harmonized, however, so the difference should be read as a comparison of the two agencies’ estimates, not as a precision-controlled experiment.
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Why a U.S. figure near 17% can tell a different story
The U.S. share depends on the period and seasonal treatment. In the Census Bureau’s 2024 fourth-quarter release, the U.S. annual share was 16.1%; for Q4 alone, the seasonally adjusted share was 16.4%, while the unadjusted share was 17.9%. The unadjusted quarter-end figure is not interchangeable with an annual average. Seasonal adjustment accounts for recurring patterns in the calendar; it does not turn a quarterly observation into a full-year measure.
The distinction remains visible in newer U.S. data: the Census Bureau’s current quarterly page reports 17.1% for Q2 2026 when seasonally adjusted and 16.4% when not adjusted. Those quarterly figures are adjusted for seasonal variation where indicated, but not for price changes. They should not be substituted for the 2024 annual comparison.
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Britain’s online share rose sharply during the pandemic years
The ONS annual series shows a marked rise followed by a retreat from its peak:
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|---|---|
| 2019 | 19.2% |
| 2020 | 28.1% |
| 2021 | 30.7% |
| 2024 | 27.1% |
| 2025 | 27.5% |
The latest annual value shown on that ONS series page is 27.5% for 2025. This time series describes how the measured share changed; by itself, it does not establish why it changed or explain the gap with the United States.
Monthly figures move, and the release vintage matters
Monthly observations are not substitutes for annual figures. ONS reported 27.8% for Great Britain in July 2025, up from 27.5% in June. Its December 2025 release reported 28.3%, up from 28.0% in November. ONS describes seasonal adjustment as removing calendar and seasonal effects, and its online-retail measure has a scope caveat: non-store retailing is mostly online, but also includes stalls and markets.
Both agencies publish updated statistical series, so a figure should be identified by its period and release context. A monthly figure, an unadjusted holiday-quarter figure, and an annual estimate can all be correct while answering different questions.
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What the gap does—and does not—explain
The official statistics establish a difference in measured online shares of retail sales for the stated periods and geographies. They do not isolate the role of broadband, population density, delivery infrastructure, retailer mix, tax, consumer preferences, or any other proposed cause. The comparison therefore cannot show that the countries’ shared internet should produce the same shopping behavior, nor can it identify why their measured shares differ. Explanations involving those factors require evidence beyond these sales-share figures.
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Sources and definitions
- ONS series J4MC: Internet sales as a percentage of total retail sales — annual Great Britain series; release dated 18 September 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 fourth-quarter e-commerce report — annual 2024 and 2023 estimates, plus adjusted and unadjusted Q4 2024 shares.
- U.S. Census Bureau quarterly e-commerce data — Q2 2026 adjusted and unadjusted shares; adjusted values account for seasonal variation, not price changes.
- ONS, Retail sales, Great Britain: July 2025 — July monthly share and seasonal-adjustment context.
- ONS, Retail sales, Great Britain: December 2025 — December monthly share and non-store retailing caveat.
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