Europe is connected, but it is not ready for the digital economy. AI is growing rapidly, but skills remain behind.

Almost all Europeans are online, but only just over half have basic digital skills. While artificial intelligence is being rapidly adopted by companies and citizens, Eurostat data shows that the European Union risks not achieving its main digital objectives for 2030.

Brussels, December 16, 2025 - The European Union enters the second half of the Digital Decade with a clear contrast. Internet usage is nearly universal, and artificial intelligence is being rapidly adopted by companies and citizens. At the same time, the level of digital skills remains insufficient, and current progress does not indicate a secure trajectory for achieving the EU's set objectives for 2030, according to the latest Eurostat data and the analysis "Digitalisation in Europe – 2025 edition".

In short

In 2025, 94% of Europeans have used the internet in the last three months.

Only 56% of EU citizens had basic digital skills or above, according to the latest available data for the year 2023.

20% of European businesses use artificial intelligence technologies in 2025.

32.7% of people aged between 16 and 74 have used generative artificial intelligence tools in 2025.

Differences between member states remain significant, and several objectives of the Digital Decade are at risk.

Conclusions of the report

Internet usage is almost universal, but digital skills remain limited

According to Eurostat, in 2025, 94% of EU citizens have used the internet in the last three months, confirming a very high level of connectivity among the population. However, this progress is not matched by a comparable level of digital skills. The latest available data on digital skills, for the year 2023, shows that only 56% of Europeans had basic digital skills or above. The target set by the EU for 2030 is at least 80%, indicating a substantial gap.

At the member state level, countries like the Netherlands and Finland are at the top of the ranking, with over 80% of the population having basic digital skills or above. In contrast, Greece and Romania consistently rank among the states with the lowest levels in the Union.

Digitalization of companies is progressing slowly, especially among SMEs

In the business environment, 74% of EU businesses have reached a basic level of digital intensity, which involves using at least four standard digital technologies. In the case of small and medium-sized enterprises, the percentage is 73%, while only 6% of SMEs are considered highly digitalized. In comparison, 41% of large companies achieve a very high level of digital intensity.

For 2030, the European Union aims for over 90% of SMEs to reach a basic level of digital intensity or above, a goal that, according to current data, is not on a secure trajectory.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly entering the economy

The adoption of artificial intelligence in companies has increased significantly in recent years. In 2025, 20% of businesses in the European Union use artificial intelligence technologies, compared to about 8% in 2021. The most common applications of AI in companies are written language analysis, image, video, or sound generation, and automatic text or speech generation tools. The use of these technologies is much more widespread in large companies than in SMEs.

Differences between states are pronounced. Denmark, Finland, and Sweden are at the top of the ranking, with over a third of firms using AI, while several states in the southeast of the Union record values below 10%.

Generative AI is already used by a third of Europeans

At the population level, 32.7% of people aged between 16 and 74 have used generative artificial intelligence tools in 2025. The majority of usage is for personal purposes, however, 15.1% of respondents report using such tools at work, and 9.4% in formal educational contexts.

The use of generative AI varies greatly between member states. Denmark, Estonia, and Malta are at the top of the ranking, with values close to 47-48%, while Romania, Italy, and Bulgaria are at the bottom of the ranking, with values below the EU average.

Persistent regional disparities

Eurostat data indicates a consistent pattern of regional polarization. Northern and western EU states lead in most digitalization indicators, including digital skills, AI adoption, and the use of online public services. In contrast, several states in southern and eastern EU record significantly lower levels, risking turning the digital transition into a two-speed process, with a direct impact on the functioning of the internal market.

The Digital Decade sets ambitious objectives for 2030, including basic digital skills for at least 80% of the population, advanced digitalization of over 90% of SMEs, and widespread use of technologies such as cloud, big data, and artificial intelligence. Data available for 2023-2025 shows steady progress, but insufficient to guarantee the achievement of these targets within the set timeframe, especially in the absence of a significant acceleration of investments in digital skills and in the digitalization of SMEs. "Digitalisation in Europe – 2025 edition" is Eurostat's annual publication that assesses the progress of the European Union within the framework of the Digital Decade 2030. The analysis is based on official surveys on the use of information and communication technologies in households and businesses and provides a comparable picture across all member states.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/stiri/europa-este-conectata-dar-nu-este-pregatita-pentru-economia-digitala-ai-creste-rapid-insa-competentele-raman-in-urma