June 12, 2019

Finland is Europe’s most digitally advanced country

76 per cent of the population in Finland have basic or above basic digital skills, which is well above the 57 per cent EU average.

Sakari Piippo

The European Commission has ranked Finland as the most digitally advanced nation in Europe in its annual Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), marking the first time the country claims the top spot.

DESI measures Europe’s overall digital performance and studies the digital competitiveness of individual countries. Finland ranked highest in digital public services and human capital, finishing first in several key subsectors, including 5G readiness, the Women in Digital Scoreboard and e-health services.

“We’ve been among the top performers for a long time,” said Anna-Maija Karjalainen, director general of public sector ICT at the Ministry of Finance. “A determined and persistent effort to advance digitalisation has now paid off. Our broad co-operation between different actors in society is a key factor in why we’re here.”

Finland overtook neighbours Sweden and Denmark from last year, with Sweden and the Netherlands now trailing close behind. Overall the study remains positive about Europe’s progress in the digital transformation, although it urges continued work in the field to face increasing global competition.

“This year’s Digital Economy and Society Index demonstrates that the speed of digital transformation must accelerate for the EU to stay competitive at world level,” said Mariya Gabriel, commissioner for the digital economy and society at the European Commission.

“In order to succeed, we have to continue to work together for an inclusive digital economy and ensure unimpeded access to digital skills for all EU citizens in order to truly thrive and build a more digital Europe.”