Is Europe prepared to go digital? Making the case for developing digital capacity: an exploratory analysis of Eurostat survey data

Digital divides are globally recognised as a wicked problem that threatens to become the new face of inequality. They are formed by discrepancies in Internet access, digital skills, and tangible outcomes (e.g. health, economic) between populations. Previous studies indicated that Europe has an average Internet access rate of 90%, yet rarely specify for different demographics and does not report on the presence of digital skills. This exploratory analysis used the 2019 community survey on ICT usage in households and by individuals from Eurostat, which is a sample of the population aged 16-74 on Internet access and digital skills. The cross-country comparative analysis includes EEA and Switzerland. Data was collected between January and August 2019 and analysed between April and May 2021. Large differences in Internet access were observed (75-98%), especially between North-Western (94-98%) and South-Eastern Europe (75-87%). Low age, high education levels, employment, and living in an urban environment appear to positively influence the development of higher digital skills. The cross-country analysis exhibits a positive correlation between high capital stock and income/earnings and the digital skills development, while showing that the internet-access price bears marginal influence over digital literacy levels. The findings suggest Europe is current unable to host a sustainable digital society without exacerbating cross-country inequalities. Investment in building digital capacity in the general population should be the primary objective of European countries to ensure they can benefit maximally from the advancements of the Digital Era.