Germany jumps to 14th place in the EU digitalization index!

Germany jumps to 14th place in the EU digitalization index!

Digitalization in Germany is slowly picking up speed, as the latest evaluations of the Bitkom digitalization index show. On August 13, 2025, it will be announced that Germany has moved up to 14th place out of 27 member states in an EU-wide comparison, after being in 16th place the previous year. Nevertheless, the rise remains below expectations, as ranks 12 and 13 were achieved at times between 2021 and 2023. Baumarktmanager reports that Germany has improved primarily in the digital economy (rank 8) and network quality (rank 9). However, digital administration performs modestly at only 21st place.

Bitkom President Dr. Ralf Wintergerst criticizes Germany's digital backwardness under the traffic light government and calls on the new federal government to make up at least two places every year. His concern is clear: Germany must be in the top third of the ranking. He sees a digital ministry as the first essential step in driving forward the necessary changes.

The need for action is great

When it comes to digital skills, Germany is in 15th place - there is still room for improvement. Only 20 percent of the population have above-average skills in information and communication technologies, while the leaders Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden show more than just a good hand here. There is also a need to catch up in digital administration: the use of digital administration services is only 64 percent - that is more than ten percentage points below the EU average. Of particular concern is the fact that only 38 percent of forms are pre-filled with already known data, while the EU average is 71 percent. [n-tv].

However, the challenges remain significant. High electricity costs are seen as a competitive disadvantage for data center and network operators, which puts further strain on the digital infrastructure. Although Germany ranks 9th in the area of ​​digital infrastructure, it only reached 19th place in terms of usage. So there is still a lot of room for improvement here. The entire digitalization process requires clear political goals. Bitkom is calling for a comprehensive digital policy roadmap to reduce bureaucracy and stimulate investment.

A look into the future

As part of its studies since 2017, the Fraunhofer Society has launched the Germany Index of Digitalization. This study covers over 40 key figures in the areas of infrastructure, administration and society that are relevant for a clear analysis of digital transformation processes. According to Fraunhofer, the last study also examined the use of artificial intelligence for the first time. It turns out that the majority of Internet users do not yet use generative AI, but should do so primarily for professional purposes.

With this background, it is clear: action is required. The social impact of AI use is viewed rather negatively, and there is a need to further expand digital education and raise awareness of digital possibilities. This is the only way Germany can catch up not only in the rankings, but also in digital reality and use the advantages of digitalization for all citizens. All this requires not only technological but also social efforts to catch up with the leaders in the EU.