COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT DESI 2026 methodological note Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions State of the Digital Decade 2026: Closing structural gaps and mobilising investments for 2030 and beyond
Date: 2026-06-17
Institutions: Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology, European Commission
Subjects: EU programme, artificial intelligence, competitiveness, digital literacy, digital single market, digital transformation, digitisation, information security, innovation, technological independence

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 17.6.2026  SWD(2026) 154 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT DESI 2026 methodological note Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions State of the Digital Decade 2026: Closing structural gaps and mobilising investments for 2030 and beyond {COM(2026) 288 final} - {SWD(2026) 155 final} - {SWD(2026) 156 final} - {SWD(2026) 157 final}  
 
 
State of the Digital  
Decade 2026:  
DESI 2026 
methodological note 

EN 

  EN 

 
 
 
 
Table of Contents 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

9. 

The DESI 2026 dashboard ..................................................................................................... 1 

People ................................................................................................................................... 4 

Infrastructures ...................................................................................................................... 5 

Business and Economy .......................................................................................................... 7 

Public Services ..................................................................................................................... 11 

The KPI table in the country reports executive summary .................................................. 13 

New feature: the Interactive Country Profile ..................................................................... 13 

Data sources........................................................................................................................ 16 

Methodological considerations .......................................................................................... 16 

Table of Figures 

Figure 1 : The Interactive Country Profile: France example, KPIs only .............................................. 15 

Table of Tables 

Table 1: DESI 2026 DASHBOARD (newly added indicators are shaded in light blue) .......................... 2 

Table 2: Digital skills and digital content trust & safety indicators ...................................................... 4 

Table 3 : Fixed and mobile infrastructure indicators ........................................................................... 5 

Table 4: Digital transformation of businesses, cybersecurity, ICT carbon footprint and ICT trade & 
web sales indicators ............................................................................................................................. 7 

Table 5 The composition of the 2025 Digital Intensity Index............................................................. 10 

Table 6 Digitalisation of public services indicators ............................................................................ 11 

 
 
 
 
 
2026 DESI Methodological note 

1.  THE DESI 2026 DASHBOARD 

Since  2023,  in  line  with  Article  2(1)  of  the  Digital  Decade  Policy  Programme  2030  (the  Decision), 
adopted  by  the  Council  and  the  Parliament  in  December  2022 1 the  Digital  Economy  and  Society 
Indicators (DESI) is based on a set of indicators providing a multi-dimensional, detailed picture of the 
collective, annual progress made by the EU towards the 2030 goals. DESI consists of a dashboard of 
indicators  fully  aligned  with  the  digital  targets  established  in  the  Decision.  It  includes  all  the  key 
performance  indicators  of  the  Digital  Decade  (DD  KPIs)  set  out  in  the  Commission  Implementing 
Decision2 for which national-level values are available or estimated. 

The DESI 2026 dashboard features around 50 national-level indicators. Since the previous edition, it 
has been updated with several new indicators designed to refine the monitoring system ahead of the 
upcoming Digital Decade review (Table 1).  

These additions, all sourced from Eurostat, include metrics assessing the use of generative AI, people's 
perception of trust and safety towards online content, the environmental impact of the digital sector, 
and indicators on ICT trade and web sales both within the EU and with non-EU countries. Crucially, a 
new indicator tracking the percentage of enterprises adopting at least five ICT security measures has 
also been introduced to provide a more robust evaluation of business cyber-resilience.  Integrating 
these dimensions helps make the Digital Decade monitoring framework more comprehensive, human-
centric, and sustainable, while providing an evidence-based assessment for the review process. The 
review aims to ensure that  the  EU’s progress is measured not only by technical infrastructure  and 
technology adoption but also by the security, economic maturity, and environmental responsibility of 
the digital landscape in the EU. 

All the  indicators included in the DESI  dashboard  and their detailed  description (metadata)  can be 
accessed  and  analysed  via  the  DESI  visualisation  tool3 for  the  2026  edition  as  well  as  for  all  past, 
available  years  (Table  1).  A  subset  of  this  rich  set  of  indicators  has  been  used  for  the  data-based 
assessment of the country’s performance in the 2026 State of the Digital Decade Report (SDDR). The 
ones that have been included in the reports are indicated in the last column of Table 1 (‘YES’) and are 
described in detail in Tables 2 to 6.  

Most  of  the  indicators  are  collected  by  the  relevant  authorities  of  the  Member  States  and  by  the 
Commission,  the  European  Statistical  Office 
for 
Communications Networks, Content and Technology (DG CNECT), via ad hoc studies for which all the 
details and links are provided. 

(Eurostat)  and  the  Directorate-General 

The country and EU-level data analysis – state of play and level of progress - of a selection of the DESI 
2026 dashboard indicators was in part generated using tested European generative AI models - Mistral 
Large, Mistral Small and Pixtral Large - for the 2026 SDDR Country Reports. All responsible officers 
have verified the accuracy and relevance of the initial drafts. 

1 Decision (EU) 2022/2481 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2022 establishing 
the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030 (Text with EEA relevance), OJ L 323, 19.12.2022, p. 4–26. 
2 Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2023/1353 of 30 June 2023 setting out key performance indicators 
to measure the progress towards the digital targets established by Article 4(1) of Decision (EU) 2022/2481 of 
the European Parliament and of the Council. 
3 DESI dashboard for the Digital Decade (2023 onwards) - Digital Decade DESI visualisation tool   

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

TABLE 1: DESI 2026 DASHBOARD (NEWLY ADDED INDICATORS ARE SHADED IN LIGHT BLUE)

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

2.  PEOPLE 

TABLE 2 DIGITAL SKILLS AND DIGITAL CONTENT TRUST & SAFETY INDICATORS 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source 

1.a At least basic digital skills (DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 80% 

1.a ICT specialists (DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 20 million equivalents to 
approximately 10% of total employment 
(assuming 200 m in employment in 2030) 

1.a Use of generative AI 

1.b Online exposure to untrue or doubtful 
content 

1.b Online verification of information 

1.b Online exposure to hostile or degrading 
messages (optional indicator, possibly not all the 
country values available) 

Individuals (aged 16-74) with ‘basic’ or ‘above 
basic’ digital skills in each of the following five 
dimensions: information, and data literacy, 
communication and collaboration, problem 
solving, digital content creation and safety 
Employed ICT specialists. Broad definition based 
on the ISCO-08 classification and including jobs 
like ICT service managers, ICT professionals, ICT 
technicians, ICT installers and servicers. 

Individuals (aged 16-74) that used generative AI 
tools (private/professional/educational purposes 
breakdown) 

Percentage of individuals (aged 16-74) who have 
seen untrue or doubtful information or content 
on the internet news sites or social media (in the 
last 3 months). 
Percentage of individuals (aged 16-74) who have 
checked the truthfulness of the information or 
content they found on the internet news sites or 
social media (in the last 3 months) 
Percentage of individuals (aged 16-74) who have 
encountered messages online that were 
considered to be hostile or degrading towards 
groups of people or individuals (in the last 3 
months) 

% of individuals + 
relevant 
breakdowns  

Eurostat – European Union survey on the 
use of ICT in Households and by Individuals 
(ISOC_SK_DSKL_I21 [I_DSK2_BAB]) 

% of total 
employment + 
gender breakdown 

% of individuals + % 
of users for 
professional 
purposes 

Percentage of 
individuals 

Percentage of 
individuals 

Percentage of 
individuals 

Eurostat – Labour force survey 
(ISOC_SKS_ITSPT) 

Eurostat – European Union survey on the 
use of ICT in Households and by individuals 
(isoc_ai_iaiu) 

Eurostat - Evaluating data, information and 
digital content: Online exposure to untrue 
or doubtful content 
(isoc_sk_edic_i21 [I_UDI]) 
Eurostat - Evaluating data, information and 
digital content: Online verification of 
information 
(isoc_sk_edic_i21 [I_TIC]) 

Eurostat - Encountering hostile or 
degrading online messages 
(isoc_ci_hm [I_HM]) 

Reference year 
(latest available year 
with comparable values 
across the EU) 
2025 

2025 

2025 

2025 

2025 

2025 

The digital skills group of indicators assesses both the basic and advanced digital skills of citizens and the number of specialists with advanced digital skills. At least 
basic digital skills and ICT specialists measure progress towards the targets of the Digital Decade Policy Programme. 

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

3. 

INFRASTRUCTURES 

TABLE 3 : FIXED AND MOBILE INFRASTRUCTURE INDICATORS4 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source 

Reference year 
(latest available year 
with comparable 
values across the 
EU) 
2025 

2.a Share of fixed broadband 
subscriptions >= 1 Gbps 

2.a Fixed Very High-Capacity Network 
(VHCN) coverage 
(DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 100% 

% of fixed broadband lines of at least 1 Gbps  % of fixed 
broadband 
subscriptions 
% of 
households + 
rural area 
breakdown 

% of households covered by fixed VHCN 
refers to the share of households located in 
premises passed5 by at least one fixed VHCN 
network. 

European Commission through the Communications Committee 
(COCOM)  

Connectivity Coverage in Europe 2025, Grant Thornton Advisory and 
LS telcom 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news-redirect/938555  

2025 

Also available via EUROSTAT ISOC_CBT  

For 2017 and 2018, the indicator covers 
FTTH and FTTB networks, while from 2019 
onwards it also includes cable networks 
based on DOCSIS 3.1 or higher. This change 
should be taken into account when 
interpreting the time series. 
% of households covered by FTTP refers to 
the share of households located in premises 
passed by an FTTP network. 
For the purposes of this indicator, FTTP 
covers both FTTH and FTTB. 
% of populated areas covered by at least 
one 5G mobile network  

2.a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) 
coverage 
(DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 100% 

2.a Overall 5G coverage 
(DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 100% 

% of 
households + 
rural area 
breakdown 

% of 
households + 
rural area 
breakdown 

Connectivity Coverage in Europe 2025, Grant Thornton Advisory and 
LS telcom 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news-redirect/938555 

Also available via EUROSTAT ISOC_CBT  
Connectivity Coverage in Europe 2025, Grant Thornton Advisory and 
LS telcom 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news-redirect/938555 
Also available via EUROSTAT ISOC_CBT  

2025 

2025 

4 Indicator’s values collected via Member States’ National Regulatory Authorities – NRAs - may be subject to slight retroactive revisions at the request of the NRAs themselves. For 

this reason, time series included in previous versions of the indicator dashboard may not fully match with the ones reported in previous versions of the dashboard.  

5 In this table, ‘premises passed’ means that an internet access service over the relevant network can be provided upon request either immediately or, within the timeframe normally 

applicable for a standard customer order, using the existing network and requiring only the completion of the final physical link to the premises and service activation. 

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source 

2.a 5G coverage in the 3.4-3.8 GHz 
band 

% of populated areas with coverage by 5G 
using the 3.4-3.8 GHz spectrum band 

2.a 5G SIM cards share of population 

2.a Edge nodes 
(DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 10 000 

5G mobile subscriptions defined as SIM 
cards that generated any internet traffic on 
a domestic 5G network in the last 90 days. 
Number of highly secure and climate-
neutral edge computing nodes providing 
latencies below 20 milliseconds. 

% of 
households + 
rural area 
breakdown 

Connectivity Coverage in Europe 2025, Grant Thornton Advisory and 
LS telcom 
https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news-redirect/938555 

Also available via EUROSTAT ISOC_CBT  

% of total 
population 

European Commission services, through the Communications 
Committee (COCOM) 

Number of 
deployed 
highly secure 
and climate-
neutral edge 
computing 
nodes 
providing 
latencies 
below 20 
milliseconds 

Edge Observatory: 
Overall methodology: D3 – Edge Nodes Taxonomy and Monitoring 
Methodology 2025 
https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/redirection/document/122401  
Data analysis on public edge nodes and international comparison: 
D4 – Edge Nodes Deployment Progress Report 
https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/redirection/document/127759 
Data collection on edge node status (public/private) for 2025: D6 – 
Edge Nodes Deployment Progress Report 
https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/dae/redirection/document/126886 

Reference year 
(latest available year 
with comparable 
values across the 
EU) 
2025 

2025 

2025 

Under  this group of indicators, both fixed and mobile  broadband are analysed with indicators measuring  the supply  and the demand side. Fixed VHCN, FTTP,  5G 
coverage and estimated edge-nodes deployment all measure progress towards the targets of the Digital Decade Policy Programme.  

4.  BUSINESS AND ECONOMY 

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

TABLE 4: DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF BUSINESSES, CYBERSECURITY, ICT CARBON FOOTPRINT AND ICT TRADE & WEB SALES INDICATORS 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source 

Reference year 
(latest available 
year with 
comparable values 
across the EU) 
2025 
[Ver. III] 

3.a SMEs with at least a basic 
level of digital intensity DII 
ver. III 
(DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 90% 
3.a SMEs with very high level 
of digital intensity DII ver. III 

The digital intensity score is based on counting how many 
out of 12 selected technologies are used by enterprises. A 
basic level requires usage of at least 4 out of 12 technologies 
(see Table 5) 

% of SMEs 

The digital intensity score is based on counting how many 
out of 12 selected technologies are used by enterprises. A 
very high level requires usage of at least 10 out of 12 
technologies (see Table 5) 

% of SMEs 

Eurostat - European Union survey on ICT usage and 
e-commerce in Enterprises (ISOC_E_DII 
[E_DI3_GELO]) 

Eurostat - European Union survey on ICT usage and 
e-commerce in Enterprises (ISOC_E_DII 
[E_DI3_VHI]) 

2025 
[Ver. III] 

3.a Data Analytics6 
(DD KPI) 

Enterprises performing data analytics (internally or 
externally) 

% of enterprises 

Eurostat - European Union survey on ICT usage and 
e-commerce in Enterprises (ISOC_EB_DAS [E_DA]) 

3.a Cloud 
(DD KPI) 

3.a AI 
 (DD KPI) 

Enterprises using sophisticated or intermediate cloud 
computing services 

% of enterprises 

Enterprises using any AI technology 

% of enterprises 

3.a AI or Cloud or Data 
Analytics (combined DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 75% 

Enterprises using AI technologies or buying sophisticated or 
intermediate cloud computing services or performing data 
analytics 

 % of enterprises 

Eurostat - European Union survey on ICT usage and 
e-commerce in enterprises (ISOC_CICCE_USE 
[E_CC1_SI]) 
Eurostat - European Union survey on ICT usage and 
e-commerce in enterprises (ISOC_EB_AI 
[E_AI_TANY]) 
Eurostat - European Union survey on ICT usage and 
e-commerce in enterprises (ISOC_EB_AI 
[E_AI_CC1SI_DA_ANY]) 

2025 

2025 

2025 

2025 

6 In 2023, Eurostat in cooperation with all the EU National Statistical Institutes replaced the Big Data indicator with the Data Analytics one. Data analytics refers to the use of technologies, techniques or 
software tools for analysing data to extract patterns, trends and insights to make conclusions, predictions and better decision-making with the aim of improving performance (e.g. increasing production, 
reducing costs). Data may be extracted from your own enterprise’s data source or from external sources (e.g. suppliers, customers, government) (source Eurostat). Data Analytics includes a broader set of 
technologies than the former Big Data indicator.  

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source 

3.a Unicorns7 

(DD KPI) 

EU 2030 target = doubling 
the number 

Calculated as the sum of unicorns referred to in Article 2, 
point (11)(a), of Decision (EU) 2022/2481 and those referred 
to in Article 2, point (11)(b), of that Decision 

Total number of 
unicorns 

3.a Enterprises using at least 
5 ICT security measures 

Enterprises applying at least 5 cybersecurity measures out 
from a list of 11 measures as measured in Eurostat’s 

% of enterprises 

Dealroom.co: https://app.dealroom.co/dashboard 

Download date 21/01/2026. Revisions/updates 
after this date are not taken into consideration in 
the 2026 visualisation tool 

Eurostat - European Union survey on ICT usage and 
e-commerce in Enterprises 
(isoc_cisce_ra [E_SECMGE5]) 

3.b Air emissions from the 
ICT sector 

3.b Contribution of the ICT 
sector to the air emissions in 
the economy 

Different pollutants and greenhouse emissions produced by 
the ICT sector. 
Two breakdowns available: ICT manufacturing and ICT 
services.   
Percentage of total ICT sector emissions in the emissions of 
total economy.  
Two breakdowns available: ICT manufacturing and ICT 
services.   

Kilograms of CO₂ 
equivalent per capita 

Eurostat – Air emissions from the ICT sector by 
NACE Rev. 2 activity (ISOC_ENV_ICT_AE [GHG]) 

Percentage of air 
emissions from total 
economy 

Eurostat – Contribution of the ICT sector to the air 
emissions in the economy by NACE Rev. 2 activity 
(ISOC_ENV_ICT_AEC [GHG]) 

3.b Distribution of air 
emissions from the ICT sector 

Percentage of economic activities (ICT manufacturing and 
ICT services) in the total ICT sector emissions for which the 
ICT sector is responsible. 

Percentage of air 
emissions from the ICT 
sector 

Eurostat – Distribution of air emissions from the ICT 
sector by NACE Rev. 2 activity 
(ISOC_ENV_ICT_AED [GHG]) 

Reference year 
(latest available 
year with 
comparable values 
across the EU) 
2025 

2024 

2022 

2022 

2022 

7 Unicorns’ classification and extraction methodology: The Commission extracts from the Dealroom platform companies that are classified as unicorns and have their headquarters in the EU27. This implies 
that all and only unicorns with headquarters in one EU Member State at the time of the extraction are counted. Every company that is classified by Dealroom as ‘verified unicorn and USD 1 billion exits’ 
has a last reported private valuation or exit of US 1 billion or more. The term ‘exit’ refers to the process by which investors, such as venture capitalists or founders, sell their stake in a company, typically 
to make a return on their investment. In some cases, a private unicorn may have fallen below USD 1 billion in paper value since its last disclosed funding round and valuation. In this case, they retain their 
unicorn classification in Dealroom until an updated valuation is confirmed. Where a company had an exit above USD 1 billion and subsequently fell in value, it is still counted due to achieving a unicorn 
exit. Where company valuations are reported in currencies other than USD, the exchange rate from reported currency at the time is used. In these scenarios, Dealroom’s analysists may decide to give the 
benefit-of-the-doubt to a limited extent due to exchange rate fluctuation.  

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source 

3.b ICT Recycling/Reusing 

Percentage of Waste of Electrical and Electronic Equipment 
(WEEE) from two defined equipment categories that 
undergoes recycling or preparation for reuse relative to the 
total WEEE collected for those categories. The two 
electronic equipment categories selected are: 1. Screens, 
monitors, and equipment containing screens having a 
surface greater than 100 cm2 [EE_SME]; 2. Small IT and 
telecommunication equipment (no external dimension more 
than 50 cm) [EE_SITTE]. 

Percentage of waste 
collected 

3.c Balance of international 
trade in ICT services inside 
the EU 

Balance of international trade in ICT services (credits minus 
debits) inside the EU. ICT services include 
telecommunication, computer and information services. 

Million EUR 

Eurostat - Waste electrical and electronic 
equipment (WEEE) by waste management 
operations - open scope, 6 product categories (from 
2018 onwards). 
CNECT’s own computations merging the 2 product 
categories:  
The indicator is computed by combining the two 
categories: 
[Sum of the two waste categories recycled or 
prepared for reuse (in tonnes)]/[Sum of the two 
waste categories collected (in tonnes)] 

Eurostat - International trade in ICT services 
 (BOP_ITS6_DET [SI]) 

3.c Balance of international 
trade in ICT goods inside the 
EU 

3.c Enterprises with ICT web 
sales to other EU countries 

Balance of international trade in ICT goods (credits minus 
debits) inside the EU. The most recent list of ICT goods 
consists of 93 goods defined at the 6-digit level of 
Harmonised System (HS) 2017 
Enterprises with ICT web sales to other EU countries  

Million EUR 

Eurostat - International trade in ICT goods 
(ISOC_IT_ICT_GD [TOT_ICT_GD]) 

Percentage of 
enterprises (with 10 or 
more employees) 

Eurostat - E-commerce sales of enterprises by NACE 
Rev. 2 activity 
(isoc_ec_eseln2 [E_AWSEU]) 

3.c Balance of international 
trade in ICT services outside 
the EU 

Balance of international trade in ICT services (credits minus 
debits) outside the EU. ICT services include 
telecommunication, computer and information services. 

Million EUR 

Eurostat - International trade in ICT services 
(BOP_ITS6_DET [SI]) 

3.c Balance of international 
trade in ICT goods outside 
the EU 

Balance of international trade in ICT goods (credits minus 
debits) outside the EU. The most recent list of ICT goods 
consists of 93 goods defined at the 6-digit level of 
Harmonised System (HS) 2017 

Million EUR 

Eurostat - International trade in ICT goods 
(ISOC_IT_ICT_GD [TOT_ICT_GD]) 

Reference year 
(latest available 
year with 
comparable values 
across the EU) 
2023 

2024 

2024 

2025 

2024 

2024 

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source 

3.c Enterprises with ICT web 
sales to rest of the world 

Enterprises with ICT web sales to the rest of the world  

Percentage of 
enterprises (with 10 or 
more employees) 

Eurostat - E-commerce sales of enterprises by NACE 
Rev. 2 activity 
(isoc_ec_eseln2 [E_AWSWW]) 

Reference year 
(latest available 
year with 
comparable values 
across the EU) 
2025 

The Business and Economy group of indicators is made up of three sub-groups: (a) digital transformation of businesses, (b) ICT carbon footprint and (c) ICT trade and 
web-sale intensity. SMEs with at least a basic level of digital intensity, take-up of Cloud or Data Analytics or AI, and unicorns measure progress towards the targets of 
the Digital Decade Policy Programme. 

TABLE 5 THE COMPOSITION OF THE 2025 DIGITAL INTENSITY INDEX8 

Digital intensity is measured using the Digital Intensity Index (DII), which assesses the adoption of 12 selected technologies by enterprises. A basic level of digital intensity is defined as an enterprise 
utilising at least 4 of these 12 technologies. Each year, the index encompasses a wide array of technologies, ranging from basic to more sophisticated, with the aim of evaluating the digitalisation level 
of SMEs across the EU.   
The 2025 version of the index, DII version III, includes the following 12 technologies and/or criteria (source: Eurostat): 1.‘Enterprises where more than 50% of the persons employed used computers 
with access to the internet for business purposes (same as ver. IV); 2. The maximum contracted download speed of the fastest fixed line internet connection is at least 30 Mb/s (same as ver. IV); 3. 
Enterprises with e-commerce sales of at least 1% turnover (same as ver. IV); 4. Enterprises where web sales are more than 1% of the total turnover and Business to Consumer - B2C - web sales more 
than 10% of the web sales (same as ver. IV); 5. Enterprises buying cloud computing services used over the internet; 6. Enterprises buying sophisticated or intermediate cloud computing services; 7. 
Enterprises with a website; 8. Enterprises using any social media; 9. Enterprises where data analytics is performed either by the their own employees or by an external provider; 10. Enterprises using 
any AI technology; 11. Enterprises having ERP software package to share information between different functional areas; and 12. Enterprises using Customer Relationship Management (CRM). 

5.  PUBLIC SERVICES 

TABLE 6 DIGITALISATION OF PUBLIC SERVICES INDICATORS 

8 The composition of the different versions of the Digital Intensity Index from 2015 to 2025 can be found in this document published by EUROSTAT: Digital Intensity Index (DII) 
composition overview 2015-2025.pdf 

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

Indicator 

Description 

Unit 

Source9 

4.1 eGovernment users 

Individuals who used the Internet, in the last 12 months, to interact with public 
authorities on websites or on mobile applications 

% internet 
users 

4.1 Digital public services 
for citizens 
(DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 100/100 
4.1 Digital public services 
for businesses (DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 100/100 

4.1 Citizens’ online access 
to electronic health records 
(short name = Access to e-
Health records) (DD KPI) 
EU 2030 target = 100/100 

Online provision of key public services for citizens, measured as the share of 
administrative steps that can be done online for major life events for citizens. There are 
7 life events simultaneously considered for citizens: 1. Family, 2. Career, 3. Studying, 4. 
Health, 5. Transport, 6. Moving, 7. Starting a Small Claims Procedure 
Online provision of key public services for entrepreneurs, measured as the share of 
administrative steps that can be completed fully online for major life events. There are 2 
life events simultaneously considered for businesses: 1. Business Start-up, 2. Regular 
Business Operations 
Measured as: (i) the nationwide availability of online access services for citizens to their 
electronic health records data (via a patient portal, or a patient mobile app) with 
additional measures in place that enable certain categories of people (e.g. guardians for 
children, people with disabilities, elderly) to also access their data, and (ii) the 
percentage of individuals that have the ability to obtain or make use of their own 
minimum set of health-related data currently stored in public and private electronic 
health-record (EHR) systems 

Score (0 to 100) 

Score (0 to 100) 

Score (0 to 100) 

Eurostat – European Union 
survey on the use of ICT in 
households and by individuals 
(ISOC_CIEGI_AC [I_IGOVANYS]) 
e-Government Benchmark 2026 
https://digital-
strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news-
redirect/938554  
e-Government Benchmark 2026 
https://digital-
strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news-
redirect/938554 
‘Digital Decade eHealth 
Indicator Study’ 
https://digital-
strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/news-
redirect/938556  

Reference year 
(latest available year 
with comparable 
values across the EU) 
2025 

2025 

2025 

2025 

The digitalisation of public services group of indicators describes the demand and supply of e-government as well as e-health. Digital public services for citizens and 
businesses and access to e-health records are indicators measuring progress towards the targets of the Digital Decade Policy Programme. 

9 Eurostat dataset code in brackets with indicator filter in squared brackets. 

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

6.  THE KPI TABLE IN THE COUNTRY REPORTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The executive summary of each Member State report contains (as Annex to the Communication on 
the State of the Digital Decade 2026) a summary table of the Digital Decade KPIs. That table lists: 

•  Digital  Decade  KPIs:  in  the  order  of  appearance  in  the  Country  Report  Staff  Working 

Document.  

• 

Last available data: for most indicators, the last available data are DESI2025 (reference year 
2024) except for some indicators marked with a star (*) for which it is DESI2024 (reference 
year 2023). Note that since the publication of the 2025 SDDR and the DESI 2025, some data 
might have been retroactively revised. 

•  DESI 2026: current level of the KPIs as measured in 2025 for all the KPIs reported in the SDDR 

2026. 

•  Annual  progress:  The  compound  annual  growth  rate  (CAGR),  calculated  based on  the  two 
most  recent  available  data  points.  For  some  Member  States  and  for  specific  KPIs, 
methodological updates might make it impossible to calculate this growth rate. 

•  National trajectory: Value of the national trajectory for 2025, as committed by the Member 
State in its (revised) Digital Decade national strategic roadmap. A ‘-’ denotes that there is no 
national trajectory point for this year in the national roadmap, as set by the Member State. 

•  EU: the same comments apply for the EU data on DESI 2026 and annual progress.  

•  Digital Decade target by 2030 MS: the target for 2030 as defined explicitly by the Member 
State in its national strategic roadmap. A ‘-’ denotes that no national target was explicitly set 
by the Member State. 

•  Digital Decade target by 2030 EU: EU-level  digital targets set out  in Article 4 of the Digital 

Decade Policy Programme 2030. 

7.  NEW FEATURE: THE INTERACTIVE COUNTRY PROFILE 

The 2026 version of the DESI visualisation tool includes a new interactive dashboard providing a multi-
dimensional  overview  of  the  most  recent  national-level  values  and  gaps  towards  the  2030  Digital 
Decade targets. (Figure 1). The primary visualisation is a semi-circular radial chart where the indicators 
are  clustered  into  the  four  colour-coded  pillars:  People,  Infrastructures,  Business  &  Economy,  and 
Public Services10. 

Each indicator uses a dual-layered bar system: the saturated inner bar represents the current, most 
recent national performance, while the semi-transparent outer segment marks the EU 2030 target. All 
indicators available at the country level that are on the scale 0-100 are shown in the radial chart with 
their original value. No normalisation is applied.   

10 The interactive dashboard is reachable in the viz tool at this link: https://digital-decade-desi.digital-
strategy.ec.europa.eu/datasets/desi/charts/country-profile?country=FR&period=desi_2026 

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The radar chart offers two viewing modes: a comprehensive view, which incorporates all indicators 
detailed in the SDDR country reports, and a strategic view, which filters the data to display only the 
DD KPIs, which are available and measured at the country level. 

In both cases, a deeper insight can be obtained by hovering over a coloured slice of the chart. For each 
indicator selected, this reveals the EU average (marked by a star icon) and highlights the corresponding 
detailed entry in the integrated data table shown below the chart. This dual-view approach ensures 
that even indicators not measured on a 0-100 range, and which cannot be rescaled, remain accessible 
because they are included in the table below the chart for a comprehensive policy analysis.  

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FIGURE 1 : THE INTERACTIVE COUNTRY PROFILE: FRANCE EXAMPLE, KPIS ONLY  

(THE TABLE BELOW THE RADIAL CHART IS ONLY PARTIALLY SHOWN)  

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2026 DESI Methodological note 

8.  DATA SOURCES  

Most  of  the  data  in  the  DESI  2025  has  been  collected  directly  by  national  authorities,  such  as  the 
National Statistical Institutes coordinated by Eurostat or National Regulatory Authorities. Here below 
the data sources and the role of national authorities in data collection and validation are ashown. 

Data source 

Eurostat 

Communications Committee (COCOM) 

Broadband coverage study 

eGovernment benchmark 

Study for Digital Decade e-Health 
Indicators Development 

Data collection process 

Data collected by National Statistical Institutes and verified 
by the National Statistical Institutes and Eurostat. 

Data collected and verified by the National Regulatory 
Authorities (by data experts appointed by the members of 
the Communications Committee in every Member State). 

Data collected by Grant Thornton Advisory and LS telcom and 
verified by the National Regulatory Authorities experts who 
are appointed by the members of the Communications 
Committee in every Member State. 

Data collected by Capgemini and verified by relevant 
ministries in every Member State. 

Data collected by Capgemini Invent by means of a specific 
questionnaire submitted to representatives appointed by the 
relevant ministries in every Member State. 

9.  METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS 

Criteria for the selection of the country-level indicators 

To be included in the DESI dashboard, indicators must comply with the following requirements: 

Policy relevance: Every indicator must serve as a validated and meaningful metric within its specific 
policy area to ensure the dashboard remains a relevant and actionable decision-making tool. 

EU-wide  comparability:  Methodology  must  be  harmonised  across  all  27  EU  Member  States. 
Standardised indicators are essential for monitoring collective progress toward Digital Decade targets, 
identifying regional gaps and scaling best practices. 

Regular  data  collection:  Indicators must  be  updated on  a  consistent  basis  to  fulfil  their monitoring 
function. Ideally, data should be collected annually, or according to a strictly predefined frequency at 
least. 

Data updates and retroactive revisions  

Updates and corrections are part of the lifecycle and nature of statistical data, especially in the digital 
sector, which is a rapidly evolving environment. This is the case for several DESI indicators. There can 
be several reasons for such restatements. For example, it is typical that the values for one indicator 
undergo small amendments and only stabilise completely even long after the indicator was originally 
computed and published for the first time. Member States can also update their own methodology to 
collect the data for the indicators on which they report, for example to Eurostat, and revise the figures 

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backward. Such revisions may impact the values of individual indicators for individual Member States 
and the EU average.  

The present report considers  updates  that were reported to the  European Commission prior  to 20 
April 202611, which was the DESI 2026 cut-off date for all indicators that had updated data or were 
new in respect of previous DESI editions. No changes made after this date were taken into account in 
the 2026 version of the DESI dashboard. 

11 The cut-off date for updating data and making retroactive revisions is set as 20 April 2026 for all the indicators 
included  in  the  2026  DESI  dashboard  apart  from  the  unicorns’  dataset,  which  was  downloaded  from  the 
Dealroom.co platform on 21.1.2026.  

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