Greece Outpaces OECD Average in Digital Transformation; Challenges Remain

Greece is making strides in its digital transformation, according to two major international evaluations recently released by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission.

The findings highlight steady improvements across critical sectors, including public digital services, telecommunications infrastructure, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and e-health. These assessments confirm that the country is rapidly aligning with the European Union’s 2030 Digital Decade goals.

Outperforming the OECD average in digital transformation

According to the OECD’s Digital Government Outlook 2026 report, Greece’s digital governance performance now sits above the organization’s member-state average.

Greece achieved an overall score of 0.71 (compared to the OECD average of 0.70), placing it ahead of advanced economies such as Japan, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, and Finland.

The report highly praises Greece’s citizen-centric digital services, unified public administration infrastructure, and its shift toward proactive, personalized public services. Greece surpassed the OECD benchmark in all core indicators, including:

• Open data availability
• Data-driven public sector efficiency
• Government-as-a-Platform functionality

Specific milestones highlighted include the expansion of the gov.gr portal (now offering over 2,250 services), the Ministry of Digital Governance’s Interoperability Center, the mAigov AI digital assistant, AI applications within the Hellenic Land Registry, and the new open data portal, data.gov.gr.

Convergence with the European Union

The European Commission’s Digital Decade 2026 report paints an equally positive picture, noting that Greece has successfully met 83% of the Commission’s policy recommendations.

In the public sector, digital performance exceeded initial forecasts. Digital service availability reached 79.4% for citizens and 86% for businesses, proving the deep integration of digital transactions between the state and the public.

Near-universal 5G and rapid fiber-optic expansion

Greece’s telecommunications infrastructure has seen some of the most dramatic upgrades:

• 5G Network Coverage: Now reaches 99.5% of the total population, effectively hitting the EU’s 2030 full-coverage target early. Notably, 5G coverage in rural and island regions stands at 99%, successfully narrowing the digital divide between urban centers and the provinces.
• Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH): Fiber deployment and Very High Capacity Networks (VHCN) are expanding at an annual rate of nearly 30%—more than five times the European average. From nearly 0% coverage in 2019, Greece has reached 59.8% today, beating intermediate milestones.

A regional digital hub

The European Commission emphasizes Greece’s strategic upgrade on Europe’s digital infrastructure map. Heavy investments in subsea data cables, international telecommunications networks, and mega-data centers are positioning Greece as a primary digital gateway connecting Europe with Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Furthermore, the newly implemented National Cybersecurity Strategy ensures these expanding networks remain resilient against rising global cyber threats.

The report notes that Greece is among the first EU nations to participate in the prestigious “AI Factories” network through its “Pharos” supercomputer initiative. The country is also boosting its presence in European quantum computing projects and has established the Greek Microchips Competence Center to support Europe’s overarching strategy for technological autonomy.

Remaining challenges for Greece in its digital transformation

Despite clear structural progress, international observers note that key challenges persist:

• Digital Skills: Only 51% of citizens aged 16 to 74 currently possess basic digital skills, underperforming the EU average of 60.4%.
• Workforce & Enterprise: There is an ongoing need to expand the domestic ICT (Information and Communications Technology) workforce and to convince traditional businesses to adopt advanced digital tools faster.

Related: Greece Launches New Digital Tool Comparing Supermarket Prices