The European Commission’s 2026 State of the Digital Decade (SDD) report shows that more than 60% of Europeans now possess at least basic digital skills, marking continued progress towards the EU’s 2030 digital transformation goals. The report also highlights growing adoption of advanced technologies by businesses, with AI use among companies increasing sharply during 2025.
Despite these gains, the Commission warns that a significant digital skills gap remains. ICT specialists accounted for only 5% of total employment in 2025—just half of the EU’s 2030 target of 10%. Women remain particularly underrepresented, making up less than 20% of ICT professionals, even as demand grows in key areas such as cybersecurity, cloud security, data management and software development.
Beyond digital skills, the report examines progress in digital infrastructure, business digitalisation and public services. It notes expanding 5G coverage, increasing use of cloud computing, data analytics and AI by businesses, as well as continued advances in digital public services. At the same time, it identifies challenges in areas such as semiconductor production, computing capacity, cybersecurity sovereignty, and SME adoption of advanced technologies.
The Commission calls for continued investment in digital education, upskilling and reskilling, alongside broader digital investments, to help Europe achieve its Digital Decade targets and strengthen its competitiveness, resilience and technological sovereignty by 2030.
