43% of students do not reach the basic level of digital skills, according to the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS).
Key findings
- Most countries show a decline or no improvement in their scores compared to previous survey cycles from 2018.
- Even the better performing EU countries, such as Czechia and Denmark, are still far from the European Education Area target (less than 15% low achievement by 2030). Other countries, particularly Romania and Greece, lag considerably behind.
- Worldwide, the EU rate of 43% of underachieving students is lower than the respective share in the USA (51%), but far behind top-performing Korea (27%).
- Students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds consistently outperform their peers, highlighting the role of parental education levels, occupation, and home resources in digital literacy.
- 14-year-old girls across the EU outperform boys by 7.9% on average, yet women constitute only 20% of ICT specialists in the EU.
- Students with migrant backgrounds and those speaking a different language at home tend to score lower, although in some countries (Slovakia, Romania, Malta, Cyprus, and Hungary), this effect is less evident.
About the study
The International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) offers detailed insights into digital skill levels of 14-year-old students (eighth grade) across 22 EU education systems.
The study reveals substantial variations in computer and information literacy performance across countries, socioeconomic backgrounds, gender, and migrant status backgrounds.
These findings highlight the challenge the EU faces in reaching its target to reduce low achievement in digital skills to below 15% by 2030. The EU uses this data to guide digital education policies and expand access to digital resources to empower a digitally proficient and equitable generation.
Read the main findings of the 2023 International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS)
Access the 2023 ICILS full report
Policy background
The European Commission supports the collection and analysis of comparable data on the digital skills of young people across Europe. The EU’s initiative promoting digital education includes the Digital Education Action Plan and the multi-billion Recovery and Resilience Facility fund, which focuses on bridging digital skill gaps, particularly among students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
The Digital Education Action Plan (2021-2027)
The action plan is a call for greater cooperation at European level on digital education to address the challenges and opportunities shared by the education and training community across the EU. It sets out a long-term approach and vision for high quality, inclusive and accessible digital education in Europe, with two strategic priorities:
- enhancing digital skills and competences for the digital transformation
- fostering the development of a high-performing digital education ecosystem
2024 marks its mid-point of implementation and the start of a comprehensive review which aims to highlight what has been achieved under the Digital Education Action Plan and inform on emerging areas of focus and next steps.
Source: European Education Area | What’s new? | News (https://shorturl.at/iiWR5)