During the period from 2017 until 2022, the countries which consistently ranked as the most digitalized in the European Union were Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Sweden. These countries scored highly across all categories measured in the EU's digital economy and society index (DESI) - that is, human capital, connectivity, integration of digital technology, and digital public services.

On the other hand, the member states that came at the bottom of the DESI rankings were mostly newer member states who have joined the EU since 2004. Some countries have made great strides in digitalizing their economy and society over this five year period including Italy, Czechia, and Cyprus.

Estonia had the highest Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with a weighted score of 56.51 in 2022. It was followed by Slovenia and Lithuania, whose index scores exceeded the average across the European Union (EU). Romania recorded the lowest DESI score in CEE and in the EU.

In 2022, Finland was the European country with the highest score on the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), ranking first in the human capital component thanks to the advanced digital skills of its citizens. Denmark ranked first for its connectivity. Estonia was the first in digital public services. Greece, Bulgaria, and Romania were the member states with the lowest scores in the digitalization of their economy and society.

The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranked Germany and Croatia as the European Union member states with the highest online services completion scores in both 2021 and 2022. Online service completion indicates whether public administration services can be accessed completely online. Finland, Greece, and Denmark also attained a high score in the examined period, while Romania, Lithuania, and Bulgaria presented lower scores, while Estonia and Poland showed no online services completion.

As of 2022, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranked Norway and Denmark as the European Union member states with the highest share of the population using the internet. Both countries had an online usage penetration rate of more than 96 percent. In the same year, Bulgaria was the EU state with the lowest internet penetration rate, with only 79 percent of people using the internet. Overall, the average internet penetration in the European Union stood at around 89 percent.

The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranks Hungary, Belgium, and Cyprus as the European Union member states with the highest share of people using social networks in 2020. Between 2019 and 2020, social network usage did not experience dramatic variations, remaining mostly stable across all the member states. In 2020, France, Italy, and Germany reported the smallest shares of social media users, with respectively 47.35 percent, 55.97 percent, and 56.47 percent of their online population engaging with social networks.

In 2021, the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranked Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Ireland as the European Union member states with the lowest share of people who have never used the internet. The countries reported that less than one percent of their population has never used the internet. By comparison, Greece, Bulgaria, and Portugal were identified as the EU member states with the highest share of people who never used the internet, reporting respectively 19.86, 17.02, and 15.61 percent of their population as never having been online before.

The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) ranks Finland, Ireland, and Malta as the European Union member states with the highest share of enterprises using social media in 2021. Between 2019 and 2020, the number of Finnish businesses using social media increased by more than 50 percent year-over-year, reaching a share of 44.18 percent. Ireland, which in 2019 recorded 36.26 percent of its businesses engaging in social media activities, recorded a share of 43.65 percent the following year. In 2021, the comparably small number of Romanian and Bulgarian enterprises using social channels during the previous year remained stable.

Deutschland lag mit einem Indexwert von 52,9 beim europäischen Vergleich der digitalen Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im Jahr 2022 im Mittelfeld unter den EU-Ländern. Führend sind die skandinavischen Länder Finnland und Dänemark. Die Europäische Kommission veröffentlicht jährlich den Index für die digitale Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft (DESI), der die Fortschritte der Mitgliedstaaten in den fünf wesentlichen Bereichen Konnektivität, digitale Kompetenzen, Internetnutzung durch Privatpersonen, Integration digitaler Technik durch Unternehmen und digitale öffentliche Dienste verfolgt.

Wo steht Deutschland?

Deutschland wird immer digitaler. Zuletzt belief sich die Anzahl der Internetnutzer:innen in Deutschland auf über 65 Millionen und knapp 90 Prozent der Haushalte in Deutschland besaßen einen Breitbandzugang. Dennoch ist die Forderung nach einer schnelleren Digitalisierung der Bundesrepublik weit verbreitet. Mehrere Studien zeigen einen großen Handlungsbedarf. Im internationalen Vergleich belegt Deutschland in verschiedenen digitalen Rankings die hinteren Plätze. Unter den sieben wichtigsten Industrienationen landete Deutschland zum zweiten Mal in Folge auf den vorletzten Platz, deutlich hinter den europäischen Nachbarn Italien und Frankreich.

Chancen und Herausforderungen des digitalen Wandels

Die Digitalisierung verspricht unter anderem enorme wirtschaftliche und ökologische Potentiale und könnte so die Lebensqualität aller Menschen in Deutschland weiter steigern. In vielen Bereichen sieht die deutsche Bevölkerung den Mehrwert einer beschleunigten Digitalisierung. Demnach werden besonders Bildung, Mobilität und das Klima als Digitalisierungsgewinner eingeschätzt. Aber auch in anderen Bereichen, wie zum Beispiel dem Gesundheitswesen, werden mit der Digitalisierung große Erwartungen verbunden. Neben den zahlreichen Chancen birgt der digitale Wandel aber auch Risiken. Die Digitalisierung der Arbeitswelt gefährdet je nach Branche Arbeitsplätze und bedroht teilweise ganze Berufsgruppen. Des Weiteren verlangt eine zunehmende Digitalisierung eine intakte IT-Infrastruktur und ein besonderes Augenmerk auf die Cybersicherheit.