Digitalization in the EU: NextGenEU stimulus funds used for digitalization 2021-2026

The NextGenerationEU economic stimulus package was decided upon by the European Union's member states and institutions in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic. The stimulus package and programs are designed to stimulate long-term growth in the European economy by focusing on the green transition, digitalization, and economic, social & institutional development of the EU member states.

Each member state was given discretion to decide which areas they would focus on in their national recovery & resilience plans. In terms of which countries will spend the most out of their NextGenEU funds on digitalization, Germany, Spain, and Austria come at the top of the list. Germany in particular will spend more than half of its funds on digitalization, as the EU's manufacturing and exports powerhouse attempts to transition its economy towards more digitalized industries and to improve the use of technology in its public administration. At the bottom of the list comes Denmark, which is perhaps unsurprising as its consistently ranked as one of the EU member states which is already a leader in digital services and technology.