Online learning continues to reshape how individuals across Europe access education, upskill, and prepare for the future of work. Alison, as a global leader in free online learning, is committed to both accessibility and transparency.
This article shares the latest European Economic Area (EEA) online learning statistics, highlighting Alison’s average monthly users while ensuring compliance with the EU Digital Services Act.
Alison’s Commitment to the European Union’s Digital Services Act Compliance
Under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), online platforms are required to publish information about their average monthly users within the EEA. This ensures accountability, transparency, and user protection.
Alison: An Irish leader in free online learning is committed to meeting these requirements, keeping our Learners, partners, and regulators informed. In fact, this is not the first time we’ve made this information public. Our May update was an important step in establishing a regular reporting practice.
For Alison, compliance with the DSA is not simply a legal obligation. It’s a reflection of our values. We believe in openness, fairness, and empowering learners by ensuring they understand the platform’s widespread use. Our first official disclosure of EEA user statistics was made in May, and since then, we have committed to publishing updates regularly. By doing so, we provide a clear and reliable picture of how online learning trends are evolving across Europe.
As an Irish company, Alison is proud to be one of the pioneers in embracing these standards. Transparency is a cornerstone of our mission, and making this information public helps strengthen the trust we’ve built with our learners, educators, and regulators across the continent.
Alison’s Average Monthly Users from the EEA
For the past three months, from May to July, Alison recorded an average of 236,000 monthly users in the EEA.
This figure reflects the strong and consistent engagement from Learners across Europe, who rely on Alison to access free, high-quality online education. It demonstrates a strong and consistent level of engagement across the region, reinforcing the fact that demand for accessible online education remains steady and continues to grow. The statistics confirm both a steady demand for digital learning and the growing role of online platforms in making education more accessible across diverse regions.
The trend also highlights how Alison Learners from different countries within the EEA increasingly turn to our platform to improve their professional skills, pursue certifications, and access multilingual resources.
- Steady demand for online learning: Learners across the EEA are increasingly choosing flexible, online options over traditional classroom formats.
- Diverse regional engagement: Our users represent countries across Europe, from large urban centres to smaller communities where access to traditional educational infrastructure may be limited.
- Focus on employability: The majority of our Learners are seeking to enhance professional skills, earn certifications, and prepare for career transitions.
The publication of this EEA report is one milestone in Alison’s broader mission. Our focus remains on expanding access, embracing inclusivity, and leveraging technology to empower millions of learners.
A Leading Free Online Learning Platform
As one of the world’s largest free online learning platforms, Alison offers 5,500+ free courses across in-demand subjects such as business, technology, language learning, healthcare, and personal development.
We’re seeing consistent demand for courses that support career growth through upskilling and reskilling. Among the top choices on Alison are:
- Diploma in Human Resources
- CPR, AED and First Aid
- Diploma in Human Resources
- Diploma in Business Administration
- HIPAA Compliance: A Complete Guide
- Basic Life Support
- Diploma in Project Management
- Food Safety and Hygiene
- Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points)
- ISO 9001:2015 – Quality Management System
- Diploma in Operations Management
Alison is actively working to make learning more accessible across the EEA, with Spanish and French translations currently in the pipeline. By offering multilingual courses, we can help reduce language barriers and open our virtual doors to millions more across the continent and further afield.
Free Career Development Tools for Learners
Beyond learning, we also offer a comprehensive suite of free career-development tools to empower early-career professionals, those seeking a promotion, and those ready for a career change. Anyone registered on our platform can use and benefit from these tools:
- Resumé Builder: Helping learners present their skills and qualifications clearly.
- Aptitude Tests: Offering insights into strengths, weaknesses, and career suitability.
- Workplace Personality Assessment: Supporting better self-awareness and career alignment.
- Mental Health Assessment: Promoting personal wellbeing as part of career readiness.
- Career Ready Plan: Giving learners a structured pathway to prepare for their next steps.
In addition to supporting individual Learners, we also enable businesses of all sizes to provide free training and development opportunities to their teams. Our Free LMS (Learning Management System) enables organisations to upskill employees at scale and foster a culture of continuous learning without the cost barriers of a traditional LMS.
Why Transparency Matters in Online Education
While publishing user statistics is a legal requirement under the DSA, Alison sees it as more than just compliance. Transparency builds trust with learners by showing the scale and reliability of our platform before they invest their time.
It also reassures regulators of our commitment to accountability and responsible operations, while demonstrating to potential partners that Alison is a credible and trusted force in the edTech industry.
Conclusion
This EEA online learning statistics report confirms that Alison averaged 236k monthly users across the region from May to July. By publishing this data, Alison continues to meet its obligations under the EU’s Digital Services Act while reinforcing its role as a global leader in free online learning.
As we look to the future, Alison remains committed to transparency, accessibility, and inclusivity. By expanding our multilingual reach, enhancing our career development tools, and empowering both individuals and organisations, we continue to put learners at the heart of everything we do.
