The digitalization of businesses in Italy is growing, but not enough to close the competitive gap with other European countries. Recent data show overall acceleration, but also structural limitations that continue to penalize the Italian productive fabric, especially among small and medium-sized enterprises. In this scenario, the quality of digital infrastructures and document management processes becomes a determining factor in transforming digital growth into real productivity.
According to the SME Digital Growth Index 2025 by Webidoo Insights Lab, Italy ranks 21st out of 27 EU countries. The analysis evaluates four key dimensions of SME digitalization: digital infrastructure, skills, research and innovation, and e-commerce. The emerging picture highlights progress, but also a significant distance from the European average.
Digitalization of European Businesses: Average Index Grows
The digitalization of businesses in Italy is part of an overall positive European context. The average digitalization index for EU SMEs reached 42.9% in 2025, an increase from 40.2% in 2024. However, the improvement is not uniform. Some countries continue to show significant structural difficulties, such as Slovakia (33.1%), Bulgaria (26.6%), and Romania (26.4%).
In this scenario, Italy records a digitalization index of 38.5%, below the European average, confirming a still insufficient growth compared to its main competitors.
The Leader Countries in Digitalization
At the top of the ranking are Denmark (66.4%), Malta (63.1%), and the Netherlands (59.9%). These states show high and balanced levels across all analyzed dimensions: digital presence, e-commerce, technological infrastructure, innovation, and skills.
Denmark, in particular, excels in technological infrastructure (77.95%) and the spread of digital skills (63.38%), demonstrating how the integration of technology, people, and processes is key to truly effective digitalization.
Alongside the leaders, countries recorded significant improvements in 2025: Austria (+6.1%), Portugal (+4.8%), Finland (+4.4%), Ireland (+4.1%), and Lithuania (+4%). In contrast, only Spain (-0.1%) and Sweden (-1.5%) worsened compared to 2024.
Italy: Slow Progress and Loss of Positions
In the European ranking, the digitalization of businesses in Italy reached a score of 38.5% in 2025, an increase compared to 36.1% in 2024. Despite the improvement, Italy fell in the ranking, moving from 19th to 21st place, remaining below the EU average.
The Italian data is mainly supported by digital infrastructures, which reached an index of 54.4%, higher than the European average of 50.3%, with an increase of over 4% in just one year. Digital commerce also shows signs of strengthening, with a value of 19.9% and a growth of 3.5%.Book your personal call today: we will show you how to enhance confidentiality, accelerate processing times, and increase document control, with a platform designed for security and collaboration.