Ireland confirmed as one of the EU’s strongest digital performers

The Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, Peter Burke has confirmed that the European Commission’s 2026 Digital Decade Country Report for Ireland has shown Ireland remains one of the EU’s strongest digital performers.  The report secured cabinet approval in recent weeks.

Digital performers in Europe

Ireland now ranks second in the EU for basic digital skills, with 83% of the population possessing at least basic digital skills, compared with an EU average of 60%. The report also shows Ireland ranks fifth in the EU for generative AI adoption, at 45%, significantly above the EU average of 33%.

The report highlights strong performance across business digitalisation, digital infrastructure and digital public services, with Ireland ranking first in the EU for mobile broadband take-up, second for digital public services for businesses, and fourth for SMEs selling online.

Speaking following Cabinet consideration of the report, Minister Burke said:

“The Digital Decade Report confirms Ireland’s position as one of Europe’s leading digital economies. Our strong performance reflects sustained investment in digital infrastructure, skills and innovation. As Ireland holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we welcome the progress being made across Europe towards the Digital Decade 2030 targets and look forward to working with our European partners to strengthen Europe’s digital competitiveness and AI ambitions.”

Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation, Niamh Smyth, welcomed the findings.

“Ireland’s strong performance reflects the progress we are making through sustained investment in skills, connectivity and innovation. It is particularly encouraging to see strong levels of AI adoption among Irish businesses.

“Through Digital Ireland: Connecting our People, Securing our Future, we are working to ensure the digital and AI transition delivers real benefits for people, businesses and public services. We look forward to building on this momentum at Ireland’s Digital and AI Summit this October, where we will showcase how Ireland is translating digital and AI leadership into practical outcomes across the economy and society.”

Other key findings from the report include:

• Ireland is home to 18 of the EU’s 324 unicorn companies, maintaining its position as the EU’s fifth-largest unicorn hub.
• Irish SMEs continue to outperform the EU average on digitalisation, with digital intensity reaching 71%, compared with an EU average of 62%.
• Household internet take-up stands at 95.5%, above the EU average.
• Ireland scored above 90% in five of eight Digital Decade public service indicators.
• Access to e-health records increased from 0% in 2022 to 44% in 2025, representing the fastest rate of improvement among EU Member States.
• The share of women working as ICT specialists continues to grow and remains above the EU average.

The report also highlights Ireland’s continued progress in strengthening cybersecurity, including the advancement of the National Cyber Security Bill and ongoing supports for SMEs to improve cyber resilience.

The Government will continue to work closely with EU partners to advance the Digital Decade 2030 targets and ensure Ireland remains at the forefront of Europe’s digital and AI transformation.

Digital Decade

The Digital Decade Policy Programme is the European Union’s framework for guiding digital policy across Member States. It sets targets for 2030 across four key areas:

• Digital Skills
• Digital Infrastructure
• Digitalisation of Business
• Digital Public Services

Ireland’s National Digital and AI Strategy, Digital Ireland: Connecting our People, Securing our Future, is closely aligned with the objectives of the EU Digital Decade.
Connectivity Data

Ireland has identified discrepancies between certain connectivity figures published in the Digital Decade 2026 Ireland Report and the Connectivity Coverage in Europe 2025 Report and the corresponding data submitted by ComReg.

As a result, a number of connectivity indicators, including overall Very High Capacity Network (VHCN) coverage and rural FTTP/VHCN coverage, appear to be understated in the published reports. The European Commission has advised that it is reviewing the underlying data across Member States and expects to publish a corrigendum.

For further information please contact Press Office, Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment, press.office@enterprise.gov.ie or (01) 631-2200

See more breaking stories here.