Perceived exposure to disinformation and fake news rising in Europe: Which countries suffer most?

Perceived exposure to disinformation and fake news in the EU has jumped eight percentage points since 2022. Experts say media literacy and fact-checking are crucial to countering the trend. Photo by The Associated Press

EuroNews

Disinformation and fake news have become defining features in the news. The rise of social media has further accelerated their spread and visibility.

Perceived exposure to disinformation and fake news is rising across Europe, according to a Eurobarometer survey.

In 2025, more than a third of respondents in the EU (36%) said they were ‘often’ or ‘very often’ exposed to disinformation and fake news over the past seven days. This compares with 28 percent in 2022. Only 12 percent said they feel confident in recognising disinformation.

So which European countries report the highest perceived exposure to disinformation? And how confident do Europeans feel about identifying it when they encounter it?

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