# Analysis of Digital Skills and Infrastructure in EU Countries Based on DESI 2024 Data
## 4 Results and Discussion
### Digital Skills
This indicates a relatively uniform state of digitalization in the EU countries' economies. Greece and Romania have the worst indicators, at 2.4% and 2.6%, respectively, which indicates that in their economies, the ratio of IT specialists to total employment is half the average in the EU. The top three countries are Sweden, Luxembourg, and Finland, with values of 8.7%, 8.0%, and 7.6%, respectively. The last DESI digital skills indicator is ICT graduates (Figure 7), or in other words, individuals with a degree in ICT. The unit of measurement is the percentage of ICT graduates out of the total number of graduates. Figure 6: Data on using the “ICT specialists” indicator. Figure 7: Data on using the “ICT graduates” indicator. The percentage of ICT graduates out of the total number of graduates is 4.5% on average in the EU, with the best value of 9.6% in Estonia and the worst value of 1.5% in Italy. Although it may not be obvious at first glance, digital skills are actually the basis for a country's successful digital transformation. The low level of digital skills of society, even with a developed digital infrastructure and a wide range of proposed applications, will be a deterrent factor in the implementation of information technologies both in public life and in the country's economy. The level of ICT specialists' qualifications has an even greater impact on the country's digital transformation, since their task is to provide for the effective use of network infrastructure, as well as the creation, support, and improvement of existing software applications. Based on this, in our opinion, the ICT graduates indicator is one of the most important for ensuring the country's competitiveness in the context of digital transformation. Therefore, let us look at the dynamics of ICT graduates (Figure 8) as a percentage of all graduates in EU member states, based on DESI data from 2016 to 2022. Figure 8 presents the proportion of ICT graduates as a percentage of total graduates in EU countries from 2016 to 2022, based on the DESI 2024 dataset. The figure reveals significant disparities between member states in terms of the output of digital specialists. Estonia consistently leads the ranking, showing a sharp upward trend and reaching nearly 11% of total graduates by 2022. Other high-performing countries include Luxembourg, Finland, and Hungary. In contrast, countries such as Italy, Cyprus, and Belgium remain at the lower end of the spectrum, with shares below (1-3)%, indicating persistent gaps in the digital talent pipeline. Based on the analysis of the chart presented in Figure 8, we can draw the following conclusions:  
* Growth trends  
Figure 8: Dynamics of ICT graduates as a percentage of all graduates in EU member states, based on DESI data from 2016 to 2022. Several countries--particularly Estonia and Luxembourg--have demonstrated a strong and consistent increase in the share of ICT graduates over the past six years. This suggests effective national strategies to promote ICT education and align higher education output with digital labor market demands. * Regional imbalances  
The chart shows a clear division between digitally advanced member states and those lagging behind. Southern European countries such as Italy and Cyprus have seen little progress, which may hinder their long-term competitiveness in the digital economy. * Policy implications  
The data underscore the need for targeted policy interventions in countries with stagnating ICT graduation rates. Financial incentives, curriculum reforms, and closer cooperation between academia and industry could help boost digital skill development and address the EU-wide talent shortage in ICT fields. * Digital capacity building  
The upward trend in several countries indicates growing awareness of the role of ICT professionals in driving innovation and digital transformation. However, convergence across member states remains limited, and more harmonized efforts are required to reduce disparities and support inclusive growth.