Estonia 2024 Digital Decade Country Report

Two main strengths or areas of progress 

Basic digital skills and ICT specialists

The country performs above the EU average (55.6%), with 62.6% of the population having at least a basic level of digital skills. The country aims to improve this further through educational measures and lifelong learning for both educators and people. ICT specialists already make up a high percentage of the workforce in Estonia (6.7% against an EU average of 4.8%). The country also has the second highest percentage of female ICT specialists in the EU (26.8%). 

Digitalisation of public services

Estonia is a front runner in providing key public services digitally, scoring 98.9 for digital public services for businesses and 95.8 for digital public services for citizens. In 2023, the government also introduced new online applications to streamline administrative processes for citizens and businesses. 

Two main weaknesses or areas to improve

Connectivity infrastructure

Estonia is committed to improving digital infrastructures and technologies, but efforts are still needed to reach the EU 2030 targets. 76.9% of households currently have very high-capacity network (VHCN) coverage, below the EU average of 78.8%, and the recent annual growth is very limited (0.8%).

Digitalisation of SMEs

The percentage of SMEs with at least a basic level of digital intensity (55.9%) is falling behind the EU average (57.7%). Adoption of advanced digital technologies is also below the EU average, in particular on data analytics (25.6% of enterprises against an EU average of 33.2%) and artificial intelligence (5.2% of enterprises against an EU average of 8%).

The Estonian roadmap demonstrates that the country plans a limited effort to achieve the Digital Decade objectives and targets. It sets targets for 1 out of 14 key performance indicators (KPIs), which is lower than the EU 2030 ambitions. The roadmap does not specify the estimated budget to achieve its digital transformation (0% of GDP).

Digital rights and principles

The Special Eurobarometer 'Digital Decade 2024' reveals that, while 42% of Estonians believe the EU protects their digital rights effectively, this marks a decrease of 6 points from last year, and is below the EU average (45%). Concerns have intensified, particularly with 55% worried about children's online safety (+10% compared to 2023) and 46% concerned about control over personal data (+11%). These findings underscore the need to reinforce digital rights at national level. On the positive side, 66% appreciate the level of digital skills and education, and another 68% access to online public services, both well above the EU average.  

Country-Specific Recommendations

Estonia must improve its performance towards the Digital Decade targets and objectives, to foster competitiveness, resilience, sovereignty, and promote European values and climate action. 

For more information and the full list of recommendations, please consult the report.