Bulgaria has 60 measures for digital transformation and a budget of 2.19 billion euros. Almost half of them - 48% - must be completed by the end of 2026. This is not just a calendar deadline. This is the limit at which it should become visible whether the billions have built a functioning digital state or simply financed infrastructure that a large part of the people cannot use.
The European Commission reports progress in optical connectivity, very high capacity networks and electronic public services. At the same time, its assessment is categorical that weaknesses remain in digital skills, small and medium-sized enterprises, the implementation of modern technologies and cybersecurity. The recommendation is to increase digital skills among people with low education, the elderly and residents of rural areas.
The Internet is accessible, but the service is not equally usable
At first glance, Bulgaria seems closer to the digital society. In 2025, 92.8% of households had access to the Internet at home, and 86.5% of people between 16 and 74 years old used the Internet daily or at least once a week. But access to the network does not equal the ability to use an electronic service.
Only 38% of Bulgarians between 16 and 74 years old had at least basic digital skills in 2025. The average for the European Union is 60%. The gap becomes even more visible outside the cities: in 2023, only 20.9% of people in rural areas of Bulgaria met the criterion for basic digital skills - the lowest share among the countries included in the Eurostat comparison.
This is how the paradox of digitalization appears: the state may have a portal, electronic identification and online application, but the person from a small settlement may not have the confidence, device, appropriate connection or help to reach them.
Electronic service remains unused
In 2025, 36% of Bulgarians aged between 16 and 74 used websites or applications of public institutions. In the European Union, this share is 71.9%. Most often, people search for information, access personal data or file tax returns, but the use of services for documents, benefits and applications remains significantly more limited.
Education is one of the strongest dividers. According to data from the National Statistical Institute, 65.9% of people with higher education used electronic services, but only 8.7% of people with primary or lower education. Among adults, the difference is also sharp: 59.7% of people between 65 and 74 years old used the Internet regularly. This means that for a significant part of pensioners, the digital portal is not a saved trip to an institution, but an additional barrier.
The same is seen in e-commerce. 55% of city dwellers made online purchases, but 40.4% of those living in villages. Among people between 65 and 74 years old, the share is only 17.7%. The data does not only measure shopping habits. They show how differently the digital economy reaches different groups.
After the infrastructure comes the hard part
Of the total budget of the roadmap, €597 million of public funding is for measures that expire by the end of 2026. Separately, €1.17 billion from the Recovery and Resilience Plan and €1.2 billion from the Cohesion Funds are related to the digital transformation. These numbers show the scale of the investment, but not its social outcome.
The result will be measured not only in kilometers of fiber optic network, new systems and the number of electronic services. It will be measured by whether an elderly person can apply for it themselves, whether a villager gets the same access to health or administrative services as a person in Sofia, and whether small local businesses can operate securely online.
Otherwise, the digital roadmap will remain a well-funded route along which part of society moves quickly, while another part is still looking for someone to translate it through the first electronic form.
Sources: digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu, nsi.bg, ec.europa.eu