Status quo: Austria’s
digitization level
Austria in the European Commission’s Digital Economy & Society Index (DESI 2016)
Austria ranks 12th out of 28 in the digital index.- Connectivity
- Human capital
- Use of internet
- Integration of digital technology
- Digitale public services
Scores are between 0 and 1: the higher the score, the better the country’s digital performance.
Austria in the five DESI dimensions
Connectivity: technological prerequisites for digitization, in particular level of development of the broadband infrastructure
Human capital: digital competences and skills, from simple surfing to ICT specialists
Use of internet: actual use of the Internet for online applications, communication and online shopping
Integration of digital technology: use of digital technology by businesses
Digital public services:
availability and use of eGovernment services
Austria compared with the leading countries
The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) assesses the development of the digital economy and society in the EU countries using five dimensions and 30 indicators. Austria has average scores in three of the dimensions: Connectivity, Human Capital and Integration of Digital Technology. It scores above average in Digital Public Services, but is in penultimate place in Use of Internet.
- EU Average
- Average of EU countries that are “running ahead”
- Austria
In the World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index (NRI), Austria is ranked 20th out of 143 countries. The index measures the degree of digitization on the basis of ten pillars, from the regulatory environment and infrastructure to human capital and Internet use.
Strengths and weaknesses profile of Austria using DESI sub-indicators
Building on strengths
Sub-indicators where Austria is in the top ten
Sub-indicator | Rank |
---|---|
Enterprises sending eInvoices | 1 |
Online services offered by public administration | 2 |
Affordability of fixed broadband | 3 |
Number of STEM graduates | 3 |
Open data in public administration | 5 |
Use of RFID technologies by enterprises | 7 |
Use of ERP software | 8 |
Basic digital skills | 9 |
Use of online shopping by individuals | 9 |
Overcoming challenges
Sub-indicators where Austria is in the bottom 10 countries
Sub-indicator | Rank |
---|---|
Individual usage of social networks on the Internet | 25 |
Individual usage for music and video | 24 |
Individual usage for video calls | 24 |
Individual usage for messages | 21 |
Households, that subscribe to fast broadband (over 30 Mbit/s) | 23 |
Households, that use a fixed broadband connection | 19 |
Level of digitization and income per capita
There is a strong positive correlation between income per capita and the digitization level of a country: the higher the level of digitization, the higher the prosperity level. Austria has potential for improvement: its degree of digitization is behind that in other countries with similar per capita income, such as Finland and the Netherlands.