site.bta52% of Bulgarians Expected to Have Basic Digital Skills by 2030: "Far from Enough", Minister Says

About 52% of Bulgarians are expected to have basic digital skills by 2030, which is far from enough, Electronic Governance Minister Alexander Yolovski said on Monday, presenting the 2023 Consumer Digital Empowerment Index, as quoted by his ministry. The Index, compiled under a project supported by Euroconsumers and Google, aims to quantify and provide insights on how digital services empower consumers in their daily lives.

Bulgaria needs to work harder to reach the European target of 80% by 2030, Yolovski said. According to him, the share of people with considerable skills to create digital content should also be increased to get the country through the digital transition. "Investing in digital skills at every level should be the top priority of our society in the coming years," he argued.

Monday was the deadline for proposals and comments on a future National Strategic Roadmap for Digital Transformation and an updated digital transformation plan for 2024-2030. Yolovski said the two documents lay down the path to achieving the national digital goals and digital transformation indicators until 2030. He called for flexibility and adaptiveness to ensure good results.

Approximately 79% of people in Bulgaria use the internet every day, according to Dessislava Ushkolova of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy, who took part in a BTA-hosted conference of the series "Europe in the Balkans: A Common Future" in the seaside city of Burgas on February 6. Ushkolova was referring to the 2023 Digital Economy and Society Index. The study also shows that 31% of Bulgarians have basic digital skills and another 8% have above-basic skills. Nine per cent of the country's enterprises provide training in information and communication technology.