Approximately a fourth of Romanians demonstrated fundamental digital competencies in the year 2023, according to a recent report.
Romania is embarking on a multi-faceted approach to enhance digital skills among its population, aiming to prepare the workforce and society for a digital economy. However, significant challenges persist, including a low baseline of digital skills, the need for retention of ICT talent, and specific focus on older adults and those with lower education levels.
One of the key initiatives is the GhidAI.ro Initiative, launched by ECDL Romania and AOAR. This free, online platform aims to support digital transformation and AI literacy, particularly for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). It offers explanations on AI, practical examples, and a digital self-assessment questionnaire to help companies understand their digitization level and needs.
The Romanian Ministry of Education is also undertaking reforms, planning to train over 100,000 teachers in digital skills and integrate digital literacy and AI concepts into curricula and teacher training programs. Resources from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) have been allocated to public sector digitalization projects such as government cloud, ROeID, and the Single Digital Gateway, expected to improve digital service accessibility and stimulate digital skills development.
Despite these efforts, Romania faces a substantial digital skills deficit. Only about 27.7% to 33% of Romanian adults have adequate basic digital skills, far below the EU average of around 54-55%. This gap is particularly pronounced among older populations, those with lower educational attainment, and women.
In an effort to address these gaps, the EU Digital Decade Report recommends continuing the integration of basic digital skills in education, prioritizing upskilling of private sector employees and the older population, and boosting SME digital skills by simplifying support and engaging stakeholders to identify market needs. Efforts to attract and retain ICT talent are also encouraged.
While exact gender-specific figures are not provided, the digital skills gap by gender is a known issue in Romania, reflecting broader trends where women tend to have lower digital skills and ICT participation rates. The emphasis on broad digital literacy measures for all suggests the gap remains to be fully addressed.
Employed individuals in Romania do not receive enough resources to develop their digital skills, despite a strategy in place to improve the digital capabilities of public servants. Only 6.17% of individuals aged 65 to 74 have basic digital skills, compared to the EU average of 28.19%. Similarly, only 21% of rural residents have basic digital skills, nearly half the EU average for the same segment.
In response to these challenges, public support for human assistance in adapting to digital changes is high, with 79% of Romanians believing that public authorities should consider it important. This sentiment was echoed in the 2025 Eurobarometer, which showed 79% of Romanians holding the same view.
In conclusion, Romania's strategies for improving digital skills are comprehensive, aligning with EU standards and the demands of emerging technologies like AI. However, addressing the low baseline of digital skills, retaining ICT talent, and focusing on older adults and those with lower education levels remain critical challenges. Efforts to close gender gaps, while not detailed in the available data, likely remain part of broader digital inclusion goals.
[1] GhidAI.ro Initiative: https://www.ecdl.ro/ghidai [2] Romanian Ministry of Education Reforms: https://www.edu.ro/ [3] Digitalization of Public Services: https://www.pnrr.gov.ro/ [4] EU Digital Decade Report: https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/european-strategy-data/digital-decade-europe-2030_en
- To further promote technology and education-and-self-development, the GhidAI.ro Initiative, an online platform aimed at digital transformation and AI literacy, is providing practical examples, explanations, and assessment tools to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Romania.
- Recognizing the need for continuous upskilling among the older adult population, the Romanian Ministry of Education is integrating digital literacy and AI concepts into teacher training programs, aiming to boost digital skills among this demographic.
