Pacing the digital decade: Digital evolution and its impact on human well-being

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between human well-being and digital development, concentrating on the case study of the EU-27 countries between 2018 and 2021. The investigation makes use of the HDI, a statistic developed by the United Nations to measure human well-being, and the DESI, which evaluates Europe's digital performance. The main goal of this research is to establish the relationship between a nation's DESI and HDI values and to investigate potential country classifications based on these indicators over the study period. Additionally, it evaluates how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected these indicators. The results deepen our understanding of the dynamic interaction between human well-being and digital development. Moreover, this study proposes a set of policies and strategies that can serve as valuable tools for policymakers and researchers.