ABSTRACT
The chapter is devoted to the differentiation of digital economic development in Europe. The digital economy is a new concept, ambiguously defined. The literature points to its key aspects: infrastructure, employment and digital applications. Different approaches used by researchers directed the chapter’s authors to identify it with the ICT sector. The measurability of the digital economy also posed a challenge, and the definition used also directed the measurement towards issues related to the ICT sector. The analysis covers the years 2012–2019 and the European Union countries. A taxonomy index was used to quantify changes in the digital economy. A wide variation in the development of the digital economy between countries was shown. Countries such as Malta, Finland, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands were characterized by high levels of digital development, while Greece, Italy, Romania and Slovenia lagged behind. The analysis also highlighted the role of countries such as Bulgaria and Poland, where the digital economy was developing rapidly. The study underscores the importance of the ICT sector in measuring the digital economy.
