A Commission staff working document published on 24 June 2026 as part of the Digital Decade 2026 country reports finds that Slovakia's digital transformation is advancing but structural weaknesses remain, particularly in digital skills, SME digitalisation, ICT specialist shortages, and rural connectivity. The report sets out seven recommendations for the country to meet the EU's 2030 Digital Decade targets.
The document, a cover note from the Commission to the Council, provides a detailed assessment of Slovakia's performance across key digital indicators. On digital skills, 53.6% of individuals have at least basic digital skills, below the EU average of 60.4%, with low levels among older groups, though young adults (16-24) perform comparatively well. ICT specialists account for 4.4% of employment (EU 5.0%), with persistent shortages in both public and private sectors. SME digitalisation shows 57.1% of SMEs have at least basic digital intensity, well below the EU average of 71.4%, though the report notes the country is catching up. On advanced technology uptake, AI adoption stands at 18.0% (EU 20.0%), cloud at 32.9% (EU 46.7%), and data analytics at 38.8% (EU 39.9%). Connectivity indicators are mixed: very high-capacity network (VHCN) coverage reaches 83.6% (EU 85.5%), fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) at 76.0% (EU 74.1%), and basic 5G at 93.9% (EU 96.8%), but rural VHCN lags at 57.5% (EU 66.7%). Digital public services score 76.3/100 for citizens (EU 84.6) and 73.9/100 for businesses (EU 88.6), while e-health records stand at 72.0/100 (EU 86.5).
Slovakia has allocated EUR 1.2 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (21% of its plan) and EUR 0.7 billion from cohesion policy (6%) for digital investments. Its national roadmap sets 12 targets, 83% aligned with EU 2030 goals, with 58% of 2025 trajectory points on track and 56% of 2025 recommendations addressed. The total public budget for digital is EUR 1.63 billion. The report's seven recommendations call for scaling up SME digitalisation support, expanding ICT specialist upskilling and reskilling, broadening digital skills for the workforce and disadvantaged groups, adopting a coherent national AI and high-performance computing approach, improving digital public service interoperability and cross-border availability, sustaining rural gigabit rollout, and strengthening the semiconductor ecosystem through participation in Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI).
The document is part of the broader State of the Digital Decade 2026 package, which assesses all member states' progress toward the 2030 digital targets. The Council is expected to discuss the findings in upcoming formations. For Slovakia, the main trade-offs involve balancing investment in advanced digital infrastructure with addressing foundational skills gaps, and ensuring that EU funds are effectively deployed to close the digital divide between urban and rural areas and between large firms and SMEs.