Ireland ranked 17th in the 2024 IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking; its highest ranking over the last five years.

Singapore claimed the top spot in the global digital competitiveness rankings, solidifying its position as a global leader in technological innovation and adoption. Closely following were Switzerland and Denmark, demonstrating their dominance in digital competitiveness. 

For Ireland, factor rankings showcased a mix of commendable progress and areas requiring improvement. Notable strides were observed across three key categories: knowledge (16^th), technology (20^th), and future readiness (11^th). This upward trajectory highlights Ireland’s efforts to strengthen its foundation for a sustainable digital future, which has already been reflected in policies such as Ireland’s National Strategic Roadmap for the Digital Decade Policy Programme.

Ireland’s top strengths were most notable in scientific research legislation (4^th), which ensures a supportive legal framework for innovation and in attitudes toward globalization (2^nd). Furthermore, Ireland ranked 1^st in flexibility and adaptability, as well as in opportunities and threats in terms of business agility, showcasing its resilience and innovative potential in this area. 

Despite these strengths, Ireland faces notable challenges that hinder its ability to fully capitalise on its digital growth potential and overall competitiveness. One critical weakness that was identified was Ireland’s lag in total public expenditure on education (62^nd). This was not surprising given the OECD’s recent report that outlined how Ireland ranked last out of 38 countries based on expenditure as a percentage of GDP with 3.2 per cent in 2020; in comparison to almost 5 per cent for OECD countries. Furthermore, IT & media stock market capitalisation (60^th), investment in telecommunications (63^rd) and government cybersecurity capacity (58^th) were also marked as critical weaknesses for Ireland.

It was interesting to note these challenges, given that the National Cyber Security Strategy recently outlined how Ireland ranks among the leading EU Member States in terms of the uptake of the use of digital technologies. Addressing these key issues will be essential to sustain and enhance Ireland’s digital trajectory.