Spain consolidates its position among the most advanced countries in the European Union (EU) in terms of connectivity and digital public services, according to the "State of the Digital Decade Report 2026" released this Wednesday by the European Commission.
The document highlights that Spain is above the EU average in key indicators such as connectivity, digital public services, basic digitalization of SMEs, essential digital skills, and the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics.
Furthermore, the report emphasizes the country's commitment to defending digital rights and equal opportunities within the digital economy.
Leadership in connectivity
Spain remains a benchmark in connectivity, surpassing the EU average in all fixed and mobile coverage parameters.
The department headed by Óscar López details that Spain is the European country with the highest proportion of internet connections of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or higher and the second with the most fiber optic coverage, well above the EU average.
Fiber optic networks reach 95.97% of the population, compared to an EU average of 74.13%, and in rural areas, coverage reaches 88.7% of the Spanish population, compared to 62.6% for the EU as a whole.
The report also notes the progress in 5G deployment, which covers 99.17% of the total population and 95.69% in rural areas, and highlights the role of the Unico programs in extending this coverage.
Likewise, the investment effort in submarine cables is highlighted, which reinforce Spain's position as a digital connectivity "hub" in the south of the continent.
Digital public services
The digitalization of public services continues to be one of the areas where Spain achieves the best results.
In the Commission's assessment, on a scale of 0 to 100, Spain obtains 91.9 points in digital public services for citizens, compared to an EU average of 84.6 points, and 95.3 points in digital public services for businesses, compared to 88.6 points for the EU as a whole.
Both indicators cover services accessible to both national and cross-border users.
The report highlights the progress made in facilitating citizens' interaction with administrations through more accessible, integrated digital services oriented towards user needs.
In this context, it specifically mentions the evolution of Mi Carpeta Ciudadana, which in 2025 added new functionalities based on user contributions.
This tool was designed as a dynamic and constantly expanding ecosystem that groups services from multiple public administrations to simplify citizen access and participation.
Thanks to this, Spain stands out in elements that facilitate digital interaction with the Administration, such as pre-filled forms, in which the administration already has the user's data and avoids them having to re-enter it, thus reducing management time.
In this section, the country ranks third in Europe with 95.7 points, exceeding the EU average by 20 points and positioning itself well ahead of France (69.80), Italy (63.55), or Germany (52).
Commitment to Quantum Technologies
The report also assesses Spain's strategy in quantum technologies to strengthen the EU's competitiveness and strategic autonomy.
Among the most relevant milestones are the approval of the Spanish Quantum Technologies Strategy (2025-2030), aimed at positioning the country as a benchmark player in this field, as well as the promotion of specialized talent development and the strengthening of scientific and industrial capabilities associated with these technologies.
The document records a progressive evolution of quantum projects towards their industrialization, deployment, and integration into large-scale production processes, along with investments in infrastructure and advanced computing capabilities.
More Digital Companies
The use of artificial intelligence is the business indicator that shows the greatest increase: in 2025, 20.3% of Spanish companies incorporated this technology, compared to 11.3% in 2024 and slightly above the EU average, which stands at 20.0%.
The adoption of data analysis technologies also grows strongly, reaching 47.1%, compared to the EU average of 39.9%.
The digitalization of small and medium-sized enterprises also maintains a positive trend.
Spain reaches 75.35% of SMEs with at least a basic level in the digital intensity index, placing it above the EU average, which shows the effect of the support measures promoted in recent years, such as "Kit Digital", "Kit Consulting", and "Acelera Pyme".
The report also includes the boost to the startup and scaleup ecosystem through investments and actions aimed at facilitating the growth and competitiveness of innovative technology companies.
Citizenship with greater digital skills
66.5% of the Spanish population between 16 and 74 years old has at least basic digital skills, compared to the EU average of 60.4%.
Spain also exceeds the European average in both urban and rural areas and presents a smaller urban-rural gap than the community as a whole.
The report also highlights the country's results among young people, older people, and in digital security skills.
The Commission also recognizes the initiatives launched to promote digital training for citizens and reinforce cybersecurity awareness, such as the Basic Digital Skills Program, the Generation D initiative, or the CONFIA program, developed by INCIBE.
Strengthening cybersecurity
The report positively assesses the measures applied to increase the country's digital resilience and security.
During 2025, Spain continued to strengthen its capabilities for prevention, detection, response, and recovery from cybersecurity incidents, while advancing in the implementation of the main European regulatory frameworks in this area.