The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) is a composite index summarising relevant indicators of Europe’s digital performance and tracking the evolution of EU member states in digital competitiveness.

1. Connectivity

The connectivity dimension measures the quality and deployment of broadband infrastructure. Access to fast and ultrafast broadband-enabled services is a necessary condition for competitiveness.

On connectivity, the Netherlands registered the highest score, followed by Luxembourg and Denmark. Greece, Croatia, and Italy had the weakest performance

Fixed broadband is available to 98% of Europeans, and 80% of European homes are covered by fast broadband (at least 30 Mbps). At least 100 Mbps ultrafast connectivity is available to 58%.

4G mobile networks cover on average 91% of the EU’s population (measured as the average of each mobile telecom operator’s coverage within each country).

75% of European homes subscribe to fixed broadband, and one-third of all homes have at least 30 Mbps. Ultrafast is emerging: 15% of homes use it already, which is twice as high as two years ago but still well below the 2020 target of 50%.

2. Human Capital/Digital skills

The Human Capital dimension measures the skills needed to take advantage of the possibilities offered by digital.

In the Human Capital dimension, Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden obtained the highest scores, and Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and Italy got the lowest ones.

81% of Europeans go online regularly (at least once per week), up by 2 percentage points compared with the previous year.

43% of Europeans still do not have basic digital skills.

3. Use of Internet Services by citizens desi

The Use of Internet Services dimension accounts for a variety of online activities, such as the consumption of online content (videos, music, games, etc.) video calls as well as online shopping and banking.

Internet users are the most active in Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands. On this dimension, Romania, Italy, and Bulgaria are at the bottom of the list.

The percentage of internet users that engage in various online activities, such as reading news online (72%), making video or audio calls (46%), using social networks (65%), shopping online (68%) or using online banking (61%) increased slightly over the last couple of years.

4. Integration of Digital Technology by businesses

The Integration of Digital Technology dimension measures the digitization of businesses and e-commerce. By adopting digital technologies, businesses can enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and better engage customers and business partners. Furthermore, the Internet as a sales outlet offers access to wider markets and growth potential.

As for the integration of technology, businesses are the most advanced in Denmark, Finland, and Ireland and the least developed in Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria.

European businesses are increasingly adopting digital technologies, such as the use of business software for electronic information sharing (from 26% in 2013 to 34% of enterprises in 2017), sending electronic invoices (from 10% in 2013 to 18% of enterprises in 2016), or using social media to engage with customers and partners (from 15% in 2013 to 21% of enterprises in 2017).

eCommerce by SMEs also grew slightly (from 14% in 2013 to 17% of SMEs in 2017). Nevertheless, less than half of these companies sell to other EU Member States.

Purpose of DESI:

• Benchmarking Progress: Helps countries identify areas for improvement and track their digital development.
• Policy Guidance: provides insights to guide investments and policies toward enhancing digital capabilities.
• EU Cohesion: Ensures a more uniform digital advancement across member states.

For the latest results and insights, you can check the European Commission’s official DESI reports.