Residents in the digital transformation: Between departure and being left behind in the ‘new land’

The D21 Digital Index 2024/25 draws an ambivalent picture of the digital transformation in Germany. While almost half of the population is optimistic about the digital future, the other half is in danger of losing touch.

The study reveals not only the current state of digitalization, but also the challenges of an increasingly divided society. You can also complete as PDF via this link loading. Let's take a look at some of the elements here.

The digital society: Divided into two worlds

Germany is facing a decisive decision: 48 percent of citizens see digitalisation as an opportunity for personal and professional development. These ‘open minded’ people have a high level of digital resilience of 88 % on average; they continuously develop their skills and help shape the digital transformation with confidence.

But the other half of society is left behind: 52 percent are distanced, skeptical or reluctant about the digital transformation. The inhabitants of Neuland. Their digital resilience is only 35 percent. Particularly alarming: 4.2 million people are still living completely outside the digital world as ‘offliners’.

The reasons for this digital denial have shifted. While in the past lack of interest dominated, today more and more people perceive digitization as too complex. A sign that awareness of the importance of digital participation is growing, but the hurdles seem too high. Hanged out instead of picked up if you will.

AI conquers everyday life – but not for everyone

Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving from a technology of the future to a practical tool. A quarter of Germans are already using ChatGPT, while other AI applications such as Microsoft Copilot and Google Gemini are also establishing themselves. Generation Z+ in particular shows enormous potential with an AI utilization rate of 68 percent.

But here, too, we see the well-known divisions: While 60 percent of highly educated people use AI applications, only 17 percent of people with low levels of education use AI. The digital divide threatens to deepen further with new technologies.

It is noteworthy that 43 percent of AI users use these technologies as a search engine, although many are unable to recognize AI-generated content or evaluate its quality. Only 25 percent of Germans can tell whether news, music or images were created by humans or AI.

Digital skills: Germany lags behind EU targets dramatically

The European Union has set an ambitious target of equipping 80 percent of the population with basic digital skills by 2030. Germany is still a long way from this goal of digital transformation: Only 49% of the population has basic digital skills, a number that has been stagnating for two years.

The Alarming Digital Skills Gap

Particularly worrying is the deep rift between different social groups. While 67 percent of people with high education have information and data literacy, only 32 percent of low-educated people have it. There is an even greater gap in communication and collaboration: 80% versus 42%. Not a single population group, even those with office jobs or high incomes, has so far achieved the EU target.

Even more alarming: Less than half of the students have basic digital skills. In some population groups, the proportion even decreases. A trend that further complicates the achievement of goals.

Complex competencies create particular difficulties

While 81 percent of Germans can find information on the Internet and 82 percent send photos and videos with their smartphone, many fail at more complex tasks. Only 57 percent can detect dubious messages, and only a quarter are able to identify whether content was created by an AI. These shortcomings become a significant risk to opinion-forming and democratic participation at a time when AI-generated content is growing exponentially.

The problem is often self-assessment: Many people do not realize that they need digital skills. A quarter did not acquire new digital knowledge last year. The reason? Mostly out of the belief that you don't need it anyway. This misjudgement threatens not only individual participation, but also societal resilience.

Changing world of work: Great transformation is underestimated.

There is a dangerous paradox in the world of work: 77% of professionals expect that certain activities will disappear by 2035 due to digitalisation, but only 27% see their own activities affected. This ‘bird-bouquet effect’ prevents the necessary proactive adaptation to technological change.

AI: Opportunity instead of threat, but transformation is underestimated

The attitude towards artificial intelligence in the world of work is surprisingly positive: Fifty percent of professionals are looking forward to AI taking monotonous tasks from them, while only 15 percent fear for their jobs. Especially in the technical sector (75 percent) and in production (55 percent), AI is seen as a relief.

Already 13 percent of professionals have used AI to make their work easier. The proportion is even higher for younger employees (19 percent) and people with office jobs (19 percent). Still, many underestimate the transformative power of this technology for their own workplace.

Continuing Education Gap Divides Dramatically

Although 63 percent of professionals have already needed digital skills in their job, only 16 percent use employer-funded training on digital topics. The gap in various industries is particularly dramatic:

• Technical area: 85 percent need digital skills, but only 37 percent use training
• Administration: 65 percent need, 22 percent use of continuing education
• Crafts: 43 percent need, only 7 percent use of continuing education

The problem is rarely the lack of supply: Only 8 percent of those who have not taken part in continuing education say that their employer does not offer such programmes. Often, lack of interest or an unrecognized need are the cause.

Companies rely on proven rather than innovation

Only 54 percent of professionals see their organizations as well prepared for the digital transformation. This is all the worse as it is a value that has been stagnating at this level for years. Companies rely above all on proven measures and shy away from innovation: Digital applications (53 percent), mobile work (44 percent) and digitized workflows (39 percent) are the highest of feelings in 2025. Clearly, there has to be a shovel on top!

The use of innovative technologies, on the other hand, plays a subordinate, sad role: Only 22 percent of companies use AI, and only 22 percent offer comprehensive digital education. This restraint could prove to be a competitive disadvantage if competitors tap into the potential of new technologies earlier.

Sustainability and digitalisation: An untapped potential

The link between the digital and green transitions is not yet sufficiently exploited. Only 28 percent of Germans use digital tools to reduce their environmental footprint. Digitalisation offers enormous potential for climate protection: From smart home systems to sharing economy platforms to targeted information about the environmental impact of one's own consumption.

The problem: 44 percent of people miss relevant information about the environmental impact of digital applications. Greater transparency could motivate more people to use digital solutions for environmental protection.

Information in the digital age: Between Participation and Manipulation

Digitalization has fundamentally changed the way we inform and communicate. Search engines (90 percent) and instant messaging services (86 percent) have become indispensable across generations. Younger generations in particular are using innovative forms of information gathering: 33 percent of Generation Z+ use AI-powered applications as search engines.

This development presents opportunities and risks. On the one hand, new opportunities for dialogue and social participation are emerging, on the other hand, social media promotes the spread of misinformation and social polarisation. 11 percent of Germans find out about political topics exclusively on social media, compared to 29 percent of Generation Z+.

The problem is automation bias: 44 percent trust search engines to display only trusted sources. This uncritical attitude toward algorithmic results makes people vulnerable to manipulation and misinformation.

Conclusion: Digital Resilience as the Key to the Future

The D21 Digital Index 2024/25 shows that: Germany is faced with the task of overcoming the digital divide and taking all citizens on their way to the digital future. Digital resilience, i.e. the ability to recognize and cope with the challenges and opportunities of digitalization, is the decisive success factor.

The good news: Digital resilience can be learned. Through better access, tailor-made education and the imparting of concrete advantages of digitization, it can be strengthened in a targeted manner. The high level of resilience among half of the population offers a promising basis for this.

Coordinated efforts by politics, business and society are now needed. Only if we succeed in developing inspiring visions of the future that motivate and empower people can digital transformation become an engine for social cohesion. Time is pressing, however, because those who are left behind today will find it even harder to find a connection tomorrow.

TL:DR

The digital future is not predetermined. With courage, reason and a conscious will to act, we can shape them together, for an inclusive digital society in which no one is left behind.