ICT education - a statistical overview

Data extracted in October 2022.

Planned article update: October 2024.

Highlights

In the EU, more than 9 out of 10 ICT educated persons are employed.

In 2022, women accounted for 15.6% of the total number of persons employed in the EU with an ICT education, down 1.6 percentage points from 2016.

In 2022, 72.5% of those employed in the EU with an ICT education had attained a tertiary level of education, representing an annual average increase of 4.3% since 2016.

This article provides an overview of recent developments in relation to digital skills within the European Union (EU). More specifically, it presents a range of statistics that describe the composition of the EU labour force in possession of an information and communication technology (ICT) education, as defined by those having achieved formal qualifications at least at upper secondary level within the fields of computer use, computer science, database and network design and administration, or software and applications development and analysis. Many countries now regard understanding ICT and mastering the basic skills and concepts of ICT as part of core education, alongside reading, writing and numeracy, while prosperous countries, businesses and individuals are often characterised by developing advanced ICT skills as a key factor of their success.

Digitalisation and automation have transformed society and the economy with an ever-deepening impact on everyday life. With the increased application of digital technologies into a broad range of economic sectors such as manufacturing, energy, retail, transport, finance, education and healthcare, as well as the ICT sector itself, there has been rapid growth in the demand for ICT specialists. This had a profound impact on the skillset that are sought by employers across the EU, while policymakers have become increasingly concerned by digital skills shortages, which may result in less innovation, lower levels of productivity or slower overall economic growth.

Full article

General developments in the labour force for people with an ICT education

The EU labour force is composed of persons who are in employment and those who are unemployed. In 2016, the EU labour force (or the total number of economically active persons) that were in possession of an ICT education numbered over 2.5 million persons; this number rose to 3.2 million persons by 2022 (see Figure 1). Of these, 3.0 million persons aged 15-74 years in the EU were employed and in possession of an ICT education in 2022. By contrast, there were about 200 000 persons with an ICT education who were unemployed.

Figure 1: Developments for employed and unemployed persons with an ICT education, EU, 2016-2022
(in thousand persons)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itemp)

During the period 2016-2022, the unemployment rate for people with an ICT education decreased from 8.8 % in 2016 to 5.8 % in 2022 with a second lowest point of 6.8 % in 2019. Since 2016, the labour market for people with an ICT education monotonously expanded, resulting in a decrease in the unemployment rate for this group. The growth in the number of employed persons with an ICT education was higher in 2018, when it rose by 6.8 % compared with the year before. This was the highest employment growth rate since 2016. After a modest slowdown in the pace of growth in 2017, the share of employed persons with an ICT education recovered in 2018 but decreased again in 2020. In 2022, the active population of persons with ICT education continued to progress by 6.7 % combined to a corresponding decrease by 16.5 % in the number of unemployed persons with an ICT education.

Table 1: Distribution of employed persons with an ICT education by sex, educational attainment level and age, 2016 and 2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itsex), (isoc_ski_itedu) and (isoc_ski_itage)

Relatively higher unemployment rates in southern EU Member States for persons with an ICT education

While there was an overall increase between 2016 and 2022 in the size of the EU labour force in possession of an ICT educational background, there were various development patterns across the EU Member States. In 2022, the share of the persons in the labour force with an ICT education who were in employment — as opposed to being unemployed — was 94.2 % in the EU. A small majority of countries (18) displayed higher values, the highest rate being observed in Czechia (with 99.4 %), followed by Malta, Romania, Germany, Hungary and Slovenia (whose respective rates were all above 97 %). By contrast, the highest shares of persons with an ICT education were unemployed in 2022 in four southern Member States and one Nordic country — Portugal and Finland (both 10.1 %), Spain (11.9 %), Italy (11.5 %) and most notably Greece (which had the highest rate, 15.8 %).

Figure 2: Share of the labour force with an ICT education by labour status, 2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itemp)

A comparison between 2016 and 2022 based on the share of the labour force with an ICT education who were in employment reveals there was little overall change in the situation at EU level. Some 91.2 % of the EU labour force with an ICT education were employed in 2016, while six years later this share was almost 3 percentage points (pp) higher, at 94.2 % in 2022.

Between 2016 and 2022, the share of the labour force with an ICT education that was employed rose by 14.6 pp in Greece (to 84.2 %), by 13.7 pp in Croatia (to 96.4 %), by 12.6 pp in Slovenia (to 97.0 %) and by 9.0 pp in Cyprus (to 95.9 %) — see Figure 3. By contrast, reductions (by 2.5 pp) were recorded in Estonia where the share of those employed fell to 93.6 %, in Latvia (-1.7 pp, 92.9 %), in France (-0.7 pp, 94.6 %) and in Lithuania (-0.1 pp, 94.7 %). Among the non-EU countries presenting available information, the most notable progression between 2016 and 2022 was observed in Serbia with 4.4 pp (from 82.8 % to 87.2 %).

Figure 3: Share of employed persons in the labour force with an ICT education, 2016 and 2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itemp)

Employed persons with an ICT education by sex

Men accounted for more than four fifths of the total number of employed persons with an ICT education in the EU

In 2022, men accounted for an 84.4 % share of the 3.0 million persons in the EU who were employed and in possession of an ICT education (see Figure 4), leaving women to account for the remaining 15.6 % of the employed labour force in possession of an ICT education. This gender gap was present in each of the EU Member States in 2022, with Slovenia recording the highest share (93.0 %) for men in the total number of employed persons. The share of men in the total number of employed persons with an ICT education ranged from approximately 70-90 % in most of the remaining EU Member States. Women accounted for more than one-quarter of the employed persons with an ICT education in Romania, Cyprus, Denmark, Greece and in Bulgaria where the highest share (31.5 %) was registered.

Figure 4: Share of employed persons with an ICT education by sex, 2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itsex)

Thanks to a range of policy initiatives that have been enacted across the EU in order to promote ICT studies among women, the latest statistical data available reveal that between 2016 and 2022 there was an increase in the number of women with an ICT education who were employed in the EU. On average, this number rose by 3.6 % per annum during the period under consideration, while the number of men who were employed and possessed an ICT education grew by an average of 4.2 % per annum (see Figure 5).

These patterns for the EU confirm the fact that between 2016 and 2022 the number of persons employed with an ICT education grew, on average, for both men and women in 15 out of the 23 EU Member States for which data is available. For the rest of the Member States for which data is available, three cases emerged: there was a reduction in the number of women employed and at the same time an increase in the number of men employed (in Belgium, Italy, Finland, Poland, Greece, Portugal), but the total number of persons employed with an ICT education still grew; and the decrease in the number of women employed in Hungary accentuated the decrease in the number of men when considering the total number of persons employed with an ICT education; and in Czechia where the number of employed women with an ICT education decrease was accompanied of a decrease of the total number of persons in employment with an ICT educational background. During the period 2016-2022, the Member States where the increase in the number of women with an ICT education in employment was the most significant were Croatia, Ireland and Denmark with respectively 19.5 %, 19.3 % and 18.1 % per annum.

In non-EU countries, Serbia observed an increase in the number of employed women with and ICT educational background of 5.5 % over the period, whereas Switzerland displayed an overall decrease (-2.9 %) of persons employed in possession of an ICT education for both men (-2.3 %) and women (-7.1 %).

Figure 5: Average annual rate of change for the number of persons employed with an ICT education by sex, 2016 - 2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itsex)

Employed persons with an ICT education by level of educational attainment

More tertiary graduates in ICT employed over time

In 2022, more than seven out of ten (72.5 %) employed persons in the EU with an ICT education had a tertiary level of educational attainment (see Figure 6). This was 1 pp higher than six years before, when the corresponding share was 71.5 %.

There were however considerable differences between EU Member States as regards of levels of educational attainment: in 2022, more than 9 out of 10 employed persons with an ICT education in Cyprus (94.4 %), Denmark (93.5 %), Bulgaria (92.5 %), France (92.4 %) and Lithuania (91.1 %) had completed a tertiary level of education. By contrast, a majority of those employed with an ICT education in Italy (65.5 %) and Portugal (71.3 %) did not have a tertiary level of education.

In the EFTA countries and in Serbia, higher or comparable shares of employed persons having attained a tertiary level of education in the field of ICT to the EU average were recorded.

Figure 6: Share of employed persons with an ICT education by educational attainment level, 2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itedu)

Between 2016 and 2022, the number of employed persons in the EU with an ICT education at tertiary level grew, on average, by 4.1 % per annum; the corresponding rate of change for persons employed with an upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary level of educational attainment was lower, at 3.5 % per annum (see Figure 7). The four highest average annual growth rates for the number of employed persons with an ICT education at tertiary level were recorded in Luxembourg (22.3 % per annum), Ireland (21.9 % per annum), Slovenia (12.8 % per annum) and Bulgaria (10.0 % per annum).

Czechia (-0.3 % per annum) and Hungary (-1.5 % per annum) were the only Member States to report a decline in their number of persons employed with an ICT education (all levels together) during the period 2016-2022. Similarly, among the countries presenting data for non-tertiary education, the number of employed persons having attained a level below tertiary education reduced on average in Greece (-0.6 % per annum), Hungary and Sweden (both with -2.1 % per annum) and in Denmark (-6.1 % per annum) during the period. By contrast, Poland (-1.6 % per annum) was the only country where the number of employed persons with an ICT education at tertiary level decreased on average over the years 2016-2022, while the total number of persons employed with an ICT education expanded with an average annual rate of 1.4 %.

In candidate and EFTA countries presenting data over the period, the number of employed persons with an ICT education progressed on average. The exception was Switzerland (-2.9 % per annum), driven by the decrease in employment for persons in possession of tertiary level of educational attainment (-3.8 % per annum over the period).

Figure 7: Average annual rate of change for the number of employed persons with an ICT education by educational attainment level, 2016-2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itedu)

Employed persons with an ICT education by age

Almost two thirds of the total number of employed persons in the EU with an ICT education were aged 15-34 years

In 2022, slightly more than two out of every three (67.8 %) employed persons in the EU with an ICT education were aged 15-34 years. Moreover, young people of this age group accounted for the majority of employed persons in possession of an ICT education in all the EU Member States. The share of young people in the total number of people employed with an ICT education was relatively low in Bulgaria (with 59.6 %), Ireland (with 56.3 %) and Finland (with 52.6 %) in 2022.

By contrast, those aged 15-34 years accounted for more than three quarters of the total number of employed persons with an ICT education in eight of the EU Member States in 2022: five eastern Member States (Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Hungary and Poland) and three southern Member States (Malta, Portugal and Italy). The highest shares were recorded in Slovakia (83.8 %) and Romania (82.4 %).

In terms of younger (15-34 years) employed persons with and ICT education background, Norway and Serbia performed better than the EU average.

Figure 8: Share of employed persons with an ICT education by age, 2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itage)

During the period 2016 to 2022, the number of young employed persons with an ICT education rose, on average, by 4.3 % per annum across the EU, while the corresponding increase for those aged 35-74 years was 3.7 % per annum. During this period, the overall number of persons aged 15-34 years who were employed with an ICT education grew by about 450 000, while the number of persons aged 35-74 years increased only by slightly less than 200 000. As a result, between 2016 and 2022 the share of young people aged 15-34 years in the total number of persons employed with an ICT education in the EU grew from 67.0 % to 67.8 %. At country level, the highest rates of progression of young ICT educated persons were observed for Ireland (with 22.3 % per annum on average) followed by Luxembourg and Slovenia. In most of the EU countries (19), both age groups progressed in synchronicity. Two countries (Belgium and Greece) observed a small contraction of the younger age group despite an overall increase in the number of persons employed with an ICT educational background, whilst in Sweden, Finland and Portugal, the older age group slightly deteriorated. On the contrary, in Czechia, the regression of young ICT-educated persons in employment was not countervailed by the older group, leading thus to a global decrease over the period. Yet in Hungary, this general decrease was observed in all age groups.

In the non-EU countries for which data is available, results were more mitigated.

Figure 9: Average annual rate of change for the number of persons employed with an ICT education by age, 2016-2022
(in %)
Source: Eurostat (isoc_ski_itage)

Source data for tables and graphs

Persons with an ICT education: tables and figures

Data sources

The data used in this article are derived from the EU Labour Force Survey (LFS). The information presented is based on microdata from the LFS and covers the population aged 15-74 years in order to be aligned with a range of other indicators relating to digital skills which are collected as part of the Community survey on the use of ICT in households and by individuals.

Within the LFS, the labour force — or economically active population — is defined as the population employed or unemployed; it therefore excludes persons who are economically inactive, such as students, people choosing not to work, and the retired.

Employment covers persons aged 15-74 years living in private households, who during the reference week performed work, even for just one hour, for pay, profit or family gain, or were not at work but had a job or business from which they were temporarily absent, for example because of illness, holidays, industrial dispute or education and training. As such, the total number of employed persons includes employees, self-employed persons and family workers. The collection of statistics on employed persons with an ICT education is carried out across the whole economy and no information is collected as to the principal economic activity in which each person works; equally, the data collection exercise does not provide information in relation to the occupations/tasks that are carried out. In other words, it is possible that some employed persons with an ICT education made little or no use of their studies in their work.

Unemployed persons are defined by Eurostat, according to the guidelines of the International Labour Organisation, as persons aged 15 to 74 years without work during the reference week who are available to start work within the next two weeks and who have actively sought employment at some time during the last four weeks.

ICT education is defined in terms of the International Standard Classification of Education fields of education (ISCED-F 2013) and covers computer use, database and network design and administration, software and applications development and analysis, inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications. The following codes identifying ICT education background are: 061 "Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)"; 068 "Inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications involving Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs)".

Indeed, ISCED-F 2013 further specifies coding as follows: "Inter-disciplinary or broad programmes and qualifications are those which combine several detailed fields of education and training where no single detailed field dominates. Many inter-disciplinary programmes and qualifications cover several narrow or even broad fields. In this classification, the 'leading subject rule' is used to determine the broad field into which the inter-disciplinary study should be classified. That is, the leading subject or subjects determines the (broad) field." The introduction of ISCED-F 2013 together with the implementation of IESS regulation in 2021 (for more details consult the link to legislation) have impacted ICT education data series. Now, as an exact transcoding was not possible for all variables and all past years, comparable times series are substantially shorter and have started from 2016 onwards.

Levels of education refer to the educational attainment level of a person, in other words, to the highest level of education successfully completed. The levels are defined in terms of the ISCED 2011 classification, with tertiary education comprising ISCED levels 5-8 and non-tertiary education comprising ISCED levels 3 and 4 (upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education), revealing the fact that in most of the countries, diplomas in the field of ICT are not delivered in lower secondary education levels (ISCED levels 1 and 2).

For data on educational attainment based on the EU-LFS, ISCED 2011 is applied. Data is broken down into two educational attainment level groups, (1) upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education (ISCED levels 3 and 4) and (2) tertiary education (ISCED levels 5 to 8).

Data introduce an age filter for the variable that describes the field of education: the field of education is reported only for respondents who completed their highest level of educational attainment either before they reached 34 years of age or within the 15 years preceding the survey year. This change has a marginal effect on the ICT education data, except for an analysis of employed persons with an ICT education by age (isoc_ski_itage).

Context

Digitalisation and automation can generate new business opportunities through the development of new production processes, new products and new markets. This may drive the demand for new skills in the workplace, which in turn leads to changes in education systems which may have to adapt to technological changes in order to provide students with up-to-date training and education that meets the requirements of prospective employers.

However, until the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of digitalisation on education and training was much more limited. The pandemic has demonstrated that having an education and training system, which is fit for the digital age, is essential. Many people will need to acquire new skills and move to new jobs in a different sector of economy. More will need to upskill to keep their job in a new work environment.

One of the main political priorities of the European Commission is empowering EU's citizens and businesses to seize a human centred, sustainable and more prosperous digital future: 'A Europe fit for the Digital Age'. EUs digital ambitions for 2030 are translated into specific targets and milestones, delineated by the '2030 Digital Compass: the European way for the Digital Decade'.

In 2023, skills are at the heart of European priorities with 'the European year of Skills', aiming at gathering all vivid forces to work together to promote skills development, and thereby improving professional and life opportunities for people. The European Year of Skills will help to address the skills gap and to support the EU initiatives' take-up.

The renewed Digital Education Plan and the Updated Industrial Strategy for Europe made clear that the pathways to the recovery will be supporting the creation of a greener, more digital and resilient European Union in which the skills of the labour force are adapted to cope with a fast changing labour market. The European Year of Skills will also contribute to the 'Green Deal Industrial Plan' to enhance the competitiveness of Europe's net-zero industry and support climate neutrality.