EU

The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) of the European Union

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

The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI)

DESI 2019

Graph showing how the countries are ranking in DESI 2019 Index
Over the past year, all EU countries improved their digital performance. Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Denmark scored the highest ratings in DESI 2019 and are among the global leaders in digitalisation. These countries are followed by the United Kingdom, Luxembourg, Ireland, Estonia, and Belgium. Some other countries however still have a long way to go, and the EU as a whole needs improvement to be able to compete on the global stage.

 

  • Download the new DESI Report 2019:
    • Connectivity – Broadband market developments in the EU (PDF)
    • Human Capital – Digital Inclusion and Skills (PDF)
    • Use of Internet Services (PDF)
    • Integration of Digital Technology (PDF)
    • Digital Public Services (PDF)
    • The EU ICT Sector and its R&D Performance (PDF)
    • Research and Innovation: ICT projects in Horizon 2020 Digital (PDF)
  • Review country performance – Country Profiles
  • Explore DESI Report Telecoms Chapters
  • Explore DESI Data

DESI 2019 – Key Findings

1. Connectivity

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

Read more about Connectivity

2. Human Capital/Digital skills

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

Read more about Human Capital/Digital skills

3. Use of Internet Services by citizens

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.

Read more about Use of Internet Services by citizens

4. Integration of Digital Technology by businesses

The Integration of Digital Technology dimension measures the digitisation 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 potential for growth.

Read more about Integration of Digital Technology by businesses

5. Digital Public Services

The Digital Public Services dimension measures the digitisation of public services, focusing on eGovernment and eHealth. Modernisation and digitisation of public services can lead to efficiency gains for the public administration, citizens and businesses alike.

Read more about Digital Public Service

6. Research and Development ICT

The Research and Development ICT presents analysis on the trends of ICT Sector and R&D provided by the European Commission as well as external studies conducted at the request of the European Commission.

Read more about Research and Development ICT

International DESI

The International Digital Economy and Society Index (I-DESI) mirrors and extends the EU28 Digital Economy and Society Index by utilising 24 datasets to enable trend analysis and comparison of the digital performance of 45 countries.

Read the full International DESI 2018 study

See how the EU member states compare to non-EU countries

Women in Digital (WiD) Scoreboard

The WiD scoreboard is one of the actions put in place to assess women’s inclusion in digital jobs, careers and entrepreneurship, initiated by the Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel. The scoreboard assesses Member States’ performance in the areas of Internet use, Internet user skills as well as specialist skills and employment based on 13 indicators.

Read the full WiD 2019 study

Review the WiD Data

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