Measuring Digital Sustainability Paying Attention to the Economic, Social, and Environmental Dimensions: A European Perspective

The accelerating convergence of digitization and sustainability has given rise to the digital sustainability concept, emphasizing responsible and sustainable use of digital technologies to pursue a systemic sustainable development involving the triple dimension of economy, society, and environment. Despite the growing interest in digital sustainability, existing analyses remain fragmented and lack a holistic perspective on the multifaceted outcomes of digital transformation. This study aims to address this research gap by comprehensively investigating the impact of digital technologies on the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of digital development in European countries. By adopting a quantitative aggregative approach, this study constructs an index, the Digital Development Index (DDI), to measure and compare the three dimensions of digital sustainable development across the European countries (EU27). The index was based on 227 indicators from the Eurostat database. The results show advanced digital development in Western and Northern Europe, while disparities persist in Southern, Central, and Eastern European countries. In addition, correlation analysis shows that higher GDP per capita enables more effective digital development across the three dimensions, facilitating technology adoption, innovation, digital education, and fortifying digital foundations. Our study contributes to the literature by providing a new index to understand the factors influencing digital sustainability in the European context, highlighting established trends and dynamics. Furthermore, the paper offers multiple implications for managers and policymakers to identify the most appropriate policies and strategies for the joint development of the three spheres of sustainable development.