Netherlands Leads Europe in Digital Skills Despite One in Six Citizens Lacking Basic Abilities

2026-03-30 data

Amsterdam, Monday, 30 March 2026.
The Netherlands tops EU digital proficiency rankings with 84% of citizens possessing basic digital skills, surpassing the bloc’s 2030 target six years early. However, 16% of Dutch residents still struggle with fundamental tasks like email and online communication, showing minimal improvement since 2023. While businesses rank third in Europe for digitalization at 89%, the persistent digital divide highlights challenges in achieving true digital inclusion across all demographic groups.

Statistics Netherlands Reveals Modest Digital Progress

Statistics Netherlands (CBS) released comprehensive data on March 30, 2026, based on a sample of approximately 6,000 Dutch people aged 16 to 75 [1]. The findings show that 84 percent of the Dutch population had mastered basic digital skills like email or chatting in 2025, representing only a marginal improvement from the 83 percent recorded in 2023 [1][3]. This 1.205 = 1.2 percent increase over two years demonstrates the challenge of reaching the final segments of the population who remain digitally excluded.

EU Leadership Position Secured Ahead of Schedule

The Netherlands maintains its position as the European Union leader in digital skills, with the country having already exceeded the EU’s 2030 target of 80 percent digital proficiency by 2023 [1][3][6]. According to CBS and Eurostat data, no other EU member state matches the Netherlands’ 84 percent proficiency rate as of 2025 [6][7]. Beyond basic skills, 56 percent of Dutch citizens possess more than basic digital capabilities, showing improvement from 50 percent in 2023 and 48 percent in 2021 [3][6]. The European Commission measures digital competency across five key areas: information and digital literacy, online communication, computers and online services, privacy protection, and software usage [3][6].

Corporate Digitalization Approaches EU Benchmarks

Dutch businesses demonstrate strong digital adoption, with 89 percent of small and medium enterprises (10 to 250 employees) achieving the basic level of digital intensity in 2025, up from 83 percent in 2023 [6][7]. This performance places the Netherlands third in the EU for business digitalization, trailing only Denmark at 92 percent and Finland at 94 percent [9]. The EU has established a goal requiring 90 percent of SMEs to use at least four of twelve selected digital technologies by 2030 [3][6][7]. Information and communication sector companies lead Dutch digitalization efforts, with 98 percent reaching basic digital intensity levels and 92 percent achieving the two highest intensity categories [5][6]. Conversely, the hospitality sector lags significantly, with 41 percent of businesses maintaining low digital intensity [5][6].

Digital Divide Persists Across Communication and Technical Skills

Dutch citizens excel most in online communication capabilities, with 99 percent demonstrating more than basic skills in areas such as emailing, internet calling, social media usage, and expressing opinions on political matters [5][6]. However, significant gaps remain in technical competencies, with only 68 percent showing advanced skills in software applications like word processing and spreadsheets, and computer programming languages [5][6]. Evelyn Austin, director of advocacy group Bits of Freedom, suggests the lack of progress among digitally hesitant populations may not be problematic if they receive assistance from others [1]. Austin advocates against complete digitalization of crucial systems like tax filing, emphasizing the need for non-digital backup systems to ensure accessibility during power outages and other disruptions [1]. The persistent 16 percent digital skills gap highlights ongoing challenges in achieving comprehensive digital inclusion across all segments of Dutch society [1][3].

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digital skills digital divide