A computer lab in an educational institution

Romania's position in the EU Digital Economy and Society Index

The European Commission's Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) measures five dimensions of digital development across EU member states. In the 2023 report — the most recent with full country-level breakdowns — Romania ranked 27th out of 27 EU member states on the Human Capital dimension, which measures internet user skills and ICT specialist supply.

The Human Capital dimension in DESI 2023 showed that 28% of Romanian individuals had basic digital skills, compared to an EU average of 54%. For above-basic digital skills, Romania recorded 21%, against an EU average of 26%. The source document is publicly available at digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu.

What the INS data adds at the national level

The Romanian National Institute of Statistics (Institutul Național de Statistică, INS) publishes annual statistics on ICT usage. The 2023 report on ICT usage in households recorded that 76% of Romanians between 16 and 74 years old used the internet in 2023, up from 61% in 2019. Internet access is not the same as digital skills, but it is a precondition for them.

INS data shows that 41% of internet users in Romania performed at least one e-learning activity in 2023 — defined broadly as accessing online educational resources, completing online courses, or watching instructional video content. This figure is not equivalent to completing a structured course or obtaining a certificate, but it establishes a minimum engagement baseline.

Regional disparities

DESI and INS data both indicate significant regional variation within Romania. Bucharest-Ilfov is the only region where digital skill indicators approach EU average levels. The North-East region (Suceava, Iași, Bacău, Botoșani, Neamț, Vaslui) consistently records the lowest digital skills figures in the country, correlating with lower broadband penetration and a younger rural population with limited access to formal IT education.

The Centre region (Brașov, Sibiu, Mureș, Alba, Covasna, Harghita) and the West region (Timiș, Arad, Caraș-Severin, Hunedoara) show above-national-average figures, supported by the presence of IT clusters in Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara and Brașov.

Age group breakdown

INS 2023 data shows that 94% of Romanians aged 16–24 used the internet regularly, with a high proportion engaging with social media and video content. The share who completed an online course was 28% in this age group. For the 25–54 group — the core labour force — 67% used the internet regularly, and 18% completed an online educational activity. For the 55–74 group, internet usage dropped to 36%, and structured online learning was below 5%.

These figures suggest that while internet adoption among young Romanians is high, conversion to structured digital skill-building remains lower than EU peers. Germany's equivalent figure for the 16–24 age group in the same survey year was 43% for online course completion.

The gap is not only about access

Broadband coverage in Romania reached 90% of households by 2023, making infrastructure a diminishing barrier. The gap documented by DESI and INS is concentrated in the translation of internet access into productive digital skill use — structured learning, professional certification, and applied competency in workplace-relevant software.

ICT specialists in the labour market

Romania's ICT specialist workforce has grown steadily. DESI 2023 recorded that 5.2% of Romanian employment was in ICT specialist roles, slightly above the EU average of 4.5%. This figure is driven by the large outsourcing and software development sector concentrated in Cluj-Napoca, Bucharest, Iași and Timișoara, where multinational companies have established significant operations.

The apparent contradiction — high ICT specialist employment but low average digital skills — reflects a dual economy structure. A relatively small, highly skilled IT workforce coexists with a broader workforce that has limited digital competency, particularly in manufacturing, agriculture and public administration.

Digital skills in public administration

A 2022 study by the Romanian Government's Department for Digital Transformation (ADR) found that 48% of public sector employees in Romania used digital tools only for basic tasks (email, document editing). Advanced digital competencies — data analysis, digital procurement, cybersecurity practices — were reported by fewer than 10% of public administration employees surveyed. The study covered 12,000 employees across central and local government.

The EU's Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition has Romania as a signatory, and the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) allocated funding for public sector digital reskilling. Progress reports published through 2024 show enrolment targets partially met, with completion rates below initial projections.

What the data does not capture

DESI and INS use self-reported surveys for many indicators, which introduces reporting bias. Skills described as "above basic" in survey responses do not correspond to verified competency assessments. The figures in this article reflect declared behaviour and survey-based categorisation, not performance-based measurement.

Additionally, neither dataset tracks outcomes from informal learning — YouTube tutorials, documentation reading, community forums. These paths contribute to skill development outside formal e-learning structures but are not captured in existing national statistics.

Note: Statistical figures cited reflect the most recent available publications as of February 2025. DESI is published annually; INS ICT reports are published in the second quarter of the following year. Newer editions may show different figures.