68% girls had at least basic digital skills in 2023

In 2023, 68% of girls aged 16-19 in the EU possessed basic or above-basic digital skills, noticeably exceeding the share in the general population (56%).

The proportion of boys in the same age bracket with at least basic digital skills was slightly lower (65%). Across age groups, only women or men aged 20-24 and 25-34 demonstrated higher shares (up to 75%). 

The highest shares of girls with basic or higher digital skills were recorded in Finland and Croatia (96% each) and Czechia (95%). Conversely, the lowest shares were reported in Romania (44%), Germany (46%) and Bulgaria (54%).

Source dataset: isoc_sk_dskl_i21

Girls outperformed the general population in all countries except Germany, where the share of girls with digital skills was 6 percentage points (pp) lower than the general population (46% compared with 52%). In contrast, in Croatia, the share of girls with at least basic digital skills was 37 pp higher than the general population, with similar discrepancies recorded in Lithuania (33 pp) and Malta (30 pp).

This article marks the International Day of Girls in ICT, celebrated on 25 April to highlight the need to advance career prospects for girls and women in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector.