A Commission staff working document published on 24 June 2026 assesses Finland as a digital frontrunner in the EU, but warns of persistent rural connectivity gaps, stagnant cloud adoption, and a shortage of ICT specialists that could undermine its 2030 Digital Decade targets. The report, part of the broader State of the Digital Decade 2026 package, was transmitted to the Council via a cover note.
81.0% of its population had at least basic digital skills in 2023, well above the EU average of 60.4%; 37.8% of enterprises used AI in 2025, nearly double the EU rate of 20.0%, driven by the LUMI AI Factory; and basic 5G coverage reached 99.99% of households, exceeding the EU average of 96.8%. However, very high-capacity network (VHCN) coverage stood at 84.6% of households in 2025, slightly below the EU average of 85.5%, and rural VHCN coverage was only 57.4%, far below the EU rural average of 66.7%. Fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) coverage reached 80.0%, above the EU average of 74.1%.
Cloud adoption by SMEs reached 73.1% in 2023, well above the EU average of 46.7%, but growth has stagnated at 0.1 percentage points. ICT specialists made up 7.8% of the workforce in 2023, compared to 5.0% in the EU, but the report notes zero annual progress and a domestic output that falls short of industry demand. The Commission recommends closing rural gigabit gaps, boosting ICT specialist training and attraction, promoting cloud and data analytics uptake, reinforcing cybersecurity with European suppliers, accelerating quantum commercialisation, and continuing semiconductor investment.
Finland has allocated EUR 0.5 billion from its Recovery and Resilience Facility (29% digital) and EUR 0.4 billion from cohesion policy (19% digital) to support digital transformation. The report underscores that without addressing the identified gaps, Finland risks losing its competitive edge in the digital economy.
Stakeholder impact - Finnish ICT sector: Faces a talent bottleneck as domestic supply of ICT specialists fails to meet demand, potentially slowing innovation and growth. The recommendation to boost training and attraction could alleviate this over time. - Rural households and businesses: Continue to suffer from subpar connectivity (57.4% VHCN coverage), limiting access to high-speed internet and digital services. Closing the gigabit gap would improve economic opportunities and quality of life. - Finnish SMEs: Cloud adoption growth has stalled, suggesting a need for targeted incentives or support to maintain competitiveness. The report's push for cloud and data analytics uptake could help SMEs leverage digital tools. - European cybersecurity suppliers: The recommendation to reinforce cybersecurity with European suppliers opens a market opportunity for EU-based firms, potentially reducing dependence on non-European vendors.
Institutional follow-up The Commission's country report feeds into the annual Digital Decade assessment, which the Council and European Parliament will discuss in the coming months. Member states are expected to adjust their national digital roadmaps accordingly, with the next round of reporting due in 2027.