A Commission staff working document published on 24 June 2026, transmitted to the Council, assesses Sweden's progress under the Digital Decade policy programme. The report finds Sweden an EU frontrunner on most digital indicators but identifies gaps in rural connectivity, AI adoption among SMEs, and cybersecurity cooperation.
The document, part of the 2026 Digital Decade country reports, accompanies the Commission's communication on the State of the Digital Decade 2026. Sweden set 13 of 14 possible national targets, with 54% aligning with EU 2030 goals and 58% of 2025 trajectory points on track. It addressed 67% of six 2025 Commission recommendations, including 17% with significant policy changes. Sweden submitted an updated roadmap on 24 February 2026 containing 68 measures (27 new) with a total budget of EUR 3.55 billion (EUR 2.89 billion public, about 0.49% of 2025 GDP).
On connectivity, Sweden's fixed very high capacity network (VHCN) coverage reached 89.84% in 2025 (EU average 85.54%), but rural VHCN stood at 69.37% (EU 66.66%). Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage was 85.62% (EU 74.13%). 5G coverage reached 98.74% (EU 96.79%), yet only 4.2% of base stations are 5G standalone (SA), far below the EU average of 22.2%. AI uptake among enterprises was 35.0% (EU 20.0%), while data analytics adoption was 38.6% (EU 39.9%). At least basic digital skills were held by 70.0% of the population (EU 60.4%), and ICT specialists made up 8.9% of employment (EU 5.0%). Access to electronic health records reached 86.5 (EU 86.5), up from 77.9. Sweden allocates 21% of its recovery plan to digital (EUR 0.6 billion) and EUR 0.2 billion from cohesion policy, and participates in the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and Chips Joint Undertaking.
complete fixed broadband to bridge the urban-rural divide; accelerate 5G in rural areas and promote 5G SA; continue e-health record efforts; sustain AI adoption among enterprises, especially SMEs, and integrate into the EU AI ecosystem; promote public-private cybersecurity information-sharing frameworks; monitor the environmental impact of data processing; and strengthen quantum positioning in EuroHPC JU while aligning national strategies.
Swedish consumers benefit from high connectivity and digital skills but rural residents face slower broadband and limited 5G SA. Swedish SMEs may gain from AI adoption support but could face costs to integrate new technologies. National authorities must invest in rural fibre and 5G SA deployment, and foster cybersecurity cooperation. The EU gains a benchmark for digital leadership but must address persistent gaps in Sweden's otherwise strong performance.
The Commission will monitor Sweden's progress through annual Digital Decade reports. The Council may discuss the findings in relevant formations. Sweden is expected to address the recommendations in its next roadmap update.