Digital policy in European countries from the perspective of the Digital Economy and Society Index

Abstract

AbstractThe concept of digital economy has gained currency in recent years and has caught the attention of policymakers and the public. This study uses the 2017 Digital Economy and Society Index indicators—connectivity, human capital, use of Internet services, integration of digital technology, and digital public services—to determine the digital policy performance of various European countries. It uses the co‐plot method to visualize and classify countries based on their correlations with similar variables. The top‐performing European Union (EU) countries have strong correlations with at least one of these indicators. By ranking these countries in this way, policymakers can ascertain their development levels and make changes to infrastructure, human resources, and regulations to develop their digital economy.