Digital skills and work in the European Union: the figures from the State of the Digital Decade 2026

On 17 June 2026 the European Commission published the State of the Digital Decade 2026 report, which measures the European Union (EU) progress towards the digital targets set for 2030. Among the areas monitored, the digital skills of the population and the availability of a specialised workforce remain among those furthest from the intended targets.

The Digital Decade targets for 2030

The reference framework is the Digital Decade Policy Programme (DDPP) 2030, which since 2022 has set common objectives and an annual monitoring cycle for Europe’s digital transformation. Two of the targets concern people directly: raising to at least 80% the share of citizens with basic digital skills, and reaching 20 million employed information and communication technology (ICT) specialists, corresponding to about 10% of employment. The 2026 report assesses progress on digital infrastructure, business digitalisation, digital skills and digital public services, and issues recommendations to Member States.

The basic digital skills of the population

In 2026 more than 60% of Europeans have at least basic digital skills. At the current pace of development, according to the report, by 2030 the share would rise only to 68%, below the 80% target. The same report projects the target being reached in 2037, seven years behind the deadline. The lowest levels are concentrated among older people, among those from more disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds and among those living in rural areas, where the risk of digital exclusion is most pronounced. The report observes that existing training systems struggle to reach the groups that are hardest to engage, and that investment tends to concentrate on formal education and general digital inclusion.

The specialised digital workforce

The gap is wider for ICT specialists. In 2025 these workers accounted for 5% of total employment, half of the 10% target set for 2030. In absolute terms there were 10.5 million specialists in employment, against the 20 million set as the objective. The report identifies several structural factors. The first is the insufficient number of graduates in ICT disciplines: in 2023 the EU had 2.7 graduates per 1,000 young people, compared with 3.7 in the United States and 4.6 in the United Kingdom. The second is the mismatch between the skills demanded by the labour market and those available in the workforce, made sharper by the speed at which technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud and data analytics evolve. The report also notes that demand for advanced digital skills has spread beyond the ICT sector, reaching healthcare, manufacturing, logistics and public administration.

The gender gap and education policies

The report finds that women account for less than 20% of ICT specialists and that the imbalance runs across the whole pathway, from interest in scientific subjects at school age to technical careers. In this context the Commission points to the STEM Education Strategic Plan, on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), launched in March 2025, which sets out a policy and funding framework to strengthen the quality of STEM education and participation in these pathways. The report also notes that the 80% basic skills target was defined before the spread of artificial intelligence, and that AI literacy remains, for now, limited.

National investment and coordination among Member States

Monitoring relies on the National Digital Decade Roadmaps. In total, Member States have programmed 1,934 measures worth 289.3 billion euro, of which 205.9 billion come from public budgets, about 1.09% of the Union’s gross domestic product (GDP). The report notes that almost half of the public funding included in the roadmaps is expected to be phased out by the end of 2026, creating a risk for the continuity of the measures, and that 64% of the 2025 country-specific recommendations have already been addressed.

Outlook

The report indicates that in 2027 the Commission will review the targets of the Digital Decade Policy Programme, to take account of new legislation, the evolving technological landscape and the Union’s priorities beyond 2030. In the meantime the Commission invites Member States to update their national roadmaps with concrete and financially supported measures. What remains to be defined is the alignment of future EU funding, including the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the Competitiveness Fund, with the Digital Decade objectives, and the extent to which the pace of skills development can move closer to the targets set for 2030.

In dialogue with the 2030 Agenda

Goal 4 (Quality Education). Basic digital skills and the training of specialists depend on education systems able to reach even the groups that are hardest to engage.
Goal 5 (Gender Equality). The share of women among ICT specialists, below 20%, signals an imbalance along the entire education and career pathway.
Goal 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). The availability of a qualified workforce affects the quality of employment and the Union’s productive capacity.
Goal 10 (Reduced Inequalities). Gaps in digital skills are concentrated among older people, in rural areas and in more disadvantaged socio-economic contexts.