Data extracted in January 2026
Planned article update: February 2027
Highlights
In 2025, 60% of EU citizens aged 16-74 had at least basic digital skills – 4 countries already surpassed the EU target of 80%: the Netherlands (84%), Ireland (83%), Denmark and Finland (both 81%).
In 2025, the share of people with at least basic digital skills in the EU varied between 82% for those with high formal education and 38% for those with no or low formal education.
In 2025, more young women than men in the EU had at least basic digital skills. However, this balances out in the age group 35-44, and the situation is reversed for older age groups with higher shares among men.
Individuals with basic or above basic digital skills, 2025
Digital technologies have become deeply embedded in nearly every aspect of our daily routines, from how we communicate and work, to how we shop, learn, and entertain ourselves. Having digital skills is therefore crucial in today’s interconnected world, as it empowers individuals to navigate the digital landscape effectively, access information, and participate in the global economy.
This is why the European Union has set out the target that by 2030 at least 80% of the EU population should have at least basic digital skills. In 2025, 60% of EU citizens aged 16-74 had at least basic digital skills – an increase from 54% and 56% in 2021 and 2023, respectively. Strong variations by socio-demographic characteristics such as age or education level were observed.
This article presents recent statistical data on digital skills across the EU and how they vary for different population groups. The statistics come from the EU survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals.
Measuring digital skills in the EU
The digital skills of individuals are measured via the Digital Skills Indicator (DSI). The DSI is a composite indicator covering activities in 5 competence areas:
- information and data literacy
- communication and collaboration
- digital content creation
- problem-solving
- and safety skills
Individuals who have performed these activities are assumed to have the corresponding skills – hence the indicator can be considered as a proxy for individuals’ digital skills. Exemplary activities include sending e-mails, using spreadsheet software, managing access to personal data, fact checking, or changing software settings. To achieve a level of at least basic overall digital skills, individuals must have performed at least one activity related to each area.
In 2025, 60% of people aged 16-74 in the EU had at least basic digital skills, 20 percentage points (pp) below the 2030 target set by the European Union. However, 4 countries have already surpassed the 80% goal in 2025: the Netherlands (84%), Ireland (83%), Denmark and Finland (both 81%). On the other hand, the lowest proportions of people with at least basic digital skills in the EU were recorded in Romania (32%) and Bulgaria (38%) (see Figure 1).
Source: Eurostat (isoc_sk_dskl_i21)
The digital divide
Looking at the level of digital skills in more detail reveals that it is heavily influenced by socio-demographic factors.
Only 33% of people aged 65-74 possessed at least basic digital skills (comprising basic or above basic overall digital skills) – meanwhile, around 75% of those who grew up on the internet (age groups 16-24 and 25-34) did (see Figure 2).
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Source: Eurostat (isoc_sk_dskl_i21)
While men had slightly higher digital skills when looking at the overall numbers (62% with at least basic digital skills, versus 59% of women), the gender gap varied strongly by age group. In the age groups 16-24, and 25-34, more young women had at least basic digital skills than their male counterparts. Among people aged 35-44 or over, the situation balances out, while for those aged 45 and older, the gender gap reverses and widens in the older age groups, with higher shares among men (see Figure 3).
Source: Eurostat (isoc_sk_dskl_i21)
A big impact on individuals’ levels of digital skills could also be seen by their level of formal education. The higher the level of formal education attained, the higher the share of people with at least basic digital skills, varying between 82% for those with high formal education and 38% for those with no or low formal education. The biggest gaps between those with high or low formal education in the share of people with at least basic digital skills were found in Croatia (67 pp), Portugal (63 pp) and
Malta (62 pp). The smallest gaps were observed in Ireland (12 pp), Estonia (18 pp) and Denmark (19 pp) (see Figure 4).
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Source: Eurostat (isoc_sk_dskl_i21)
Source data for tables and graphs
Data sources
The data presented in this article come from Eurostat’s survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals, which is updated on an annual basis to ensure that the data collected remain relevant. While the questions and areas of interest for the surveys change each year to reflect modern ICT use, there is a core section of the survey which aims to provide stable and continued data collection for several key indicators thereby making analyses over time possible. Currently, information about digital skills is collected every 2 years. The digital skills indicator was revised in 2021, allowing for only limited comparability to previous iterations. In most EU Member States the surveys are carried out in the second quarter of each year asking about activities in the first quarter of the same year. Within this article statistics that refer to the whole adult population cover those aged 16 to 74 years. The ICT household survey covers households having at least one member in the relevant age group 16 to 74 years old.
Context
Digital Skills are key to the EU's digital strategy for ensuring technological sovereignty, bridging the digital divide and promoting a human-centred digital environment across the EU. The Path to the Digital Decade Policy Programme sets out the EU’s objective of developing basic and advanced digital skills and competencies to guide the digital transformation. It outlines the EU's ambitious targets of ensuring 80% of adults having at least basic digital skills and reaching 20 million employed ICT specialists. It also promotes the access of women to this field and increasing the number of ICT graduates, by 2030.
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Database
Thematic section
Methodology
- Individuals' level of digital skills (from 2021 onwards) (ESMS metadata file — isoc_sk_dskl_i21)
- ICT usage in households and by individuals (ESMS metadata file — isoc_i)