3. Overview of Nordic digitalisation and digital inclusion-related policies

Digitalisation is a key focus in the public sectors of the Nordic countries. This overview discusses the most relevant policies published since 2020, shaping the future of digital inclusion in the Nordic region. It examines the current status of digitalisation and gives special attention to the digital inclusion of immigrant women, analysing whether and to what extent the policies take this group into account.

All Nordic countries have policies on digitalisation, and most have developed strategies to address challenges related to digital inclusion. However, the extent to which these policies specifically discuss the digital inclusion of immigrant women (or immigrants at large) varies significantly.

Only a few policies directly address digital inclusion related issues focusing on immigrant women. For instance, the Norwegian digitalisation strategy Digital throughout life identifies ‘first-generation non-Western immigrants, especially women’ as one of the most vulnerable groups and at risk of digital exclusion (Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, 2021, p. 7). The strategy maps out several actors, such as civil society actors and NGOs (non-governmental organisations) which offer digital competency training for digitally vulnerable groups, including immigrant women (Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation, 2021).

Norway’s Digital throughout life – action plan stresses that immigrant groups differ in their risk of digital exclusion. Well-integrated immigrants generally have a lower probability of digital exclusion, while young students and poorly integrated immigrant women are at higher risk of not being able to use digital services. Four main factors affecting the degree of digital vulnerability are identified: access barriers, digital skills, bureaucratic competence, and health and life situation (Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, 2023a).

More policies touch upon immigrants at large, focusing on the broader challenges immigrants may face. Digital inclusiveness in Finland highlights that immigrants may face cultural, language, and skills challenges, as well as barriers in accessing digital services. It notes that all societal groups, including immigrants, are heterogenous, and emphasises the importance of recognising this diversity in addressing digital exclusion (Government Office, 2022).

In Sweden, A changing society – input for the government’s strategic priorities

In two of its publications – A changing society – input for the government’s strategic priorities and the National roadmap for the digital decade – the Swedish Agency for Digital Government outlines key actions to be considered in the development of Swedish digitalisation policy for 2025–2030 and its digital development by 2030. Although neither document is a policy in effect, they provide the direction of Sweden’s future digitalisation journey.

notes that some groups in society are at risk of digital exclusion and that ‘there is a need to target digitally vulnerable groups such as the elderly, migrants, and the low-skilled’ (Agency for Digital Governance, 2024, p. 76). The National roadmap for the digital decade outlines that the share of basic digital skills is comparatively low among people with a migrant background, both compared to other groups in Sweden and compared to similar groups in other EU countries (Agency for Digital Government, 2023).

Norway’s Digital throughout life – action plan also identifies barriers to digital inclusion for immigrants in general (but also for immigrant women specifically, as discussed above), such as low trust, language, social, and cultural challenges. Immigrants with limited digital education or knowledge of Norwegian society face greater difficulties using digital services. Trust issues, language, and cultural barriers hinder their use of digital solutions, while social aspects such as family, finances, and housing impact their digital access (Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, 2023a).

The issue of electronic IDs (eID) is discussed in several policies: accessing and using eID can be a challenge for some immigrant groups. Norway’s National strategy for eID in the public sector highlights that current eID solutions do not meet the needs of all user groups, leading to challenges in accessing public digital services. Immigrants and refugees face specific issues, such as inconsistent practices among banks for issuing BankID (Norwegian electronic ID solution) and the inability to obtain eIDs without valid ID papers. Common barriers include language and digital competence, particularly for those new to Norway (Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, 2023b).

Most reviewed policies did not specifically highlight target groups but rather referred to ‘digitally challenged’ or ‘vulnerable groups’ and focused on challenges that span various societal groups. For example, many Danish digitalisation policies have applied the ‘common challenges, common solutions’ approach. The 2024 strategy, Principles for digital inclusion, outlines six key principles aimed at promoting responsible and inclusive digitalisation in Denmark, ensuring that all citizens, also those facing digital challenges, can access and benefit from digital services. These challenges include digital literacy, accessibility, trust and security, language barriers, and usability (The Danish Agency for Digital Government, Local Government Denmark & Danish Regions, 2024).

The Icelandic Digital policy discusses the importance of meeting the needs of different groups in society and notes that digital public services should be based on user needs and be accessible to society as a whole. They must therefore be adapted to the needs of different groups in society (Digital Iceland, 2021).

Similarly, the digital Norway of the future notes that some groups in society experience digital barriers and digital exclusion. It is estimated that around 20% of the adult population are vulnerable when using public digital services. Individual challenges such as lack of digital competence, administrative skills, trust, and confidence create barriers to using digital solutions. Additionally, issues with the solutions themselves, such as poor universal design, user interface, complexity, or lack of cohesion can hinder their use. Technological barriers can thus exacerbate digital exclusion (Norwegian Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance, 2024).

Denmark’s National strategy for digitalisation – Together in the digital development” from 2022 identifies groups at risk of digital exclusion as digitally challenged. While this group remains undefined, various common barriers are mentioned, such as lack of language skills and digital skills, or cognitive or physical disabilities (Danish Ministry of Finance, 2022). The Danish Digitalisation with care stresses the importance of understanding that the challenges are many and complex and cut across the public and private sectors alike. Some people need help using smartphones or tablets, others need assistance with services like eID or online banking, and some struggle with navigating the public sector and understanding bureaucratic language. Therefore, there is no single solution, and different groups may face similar challenges across the groups (Ministry of Digitalisation and Equality, 2023).

Furthermore, Finland’s Digital compass refers to ‘special groups’ and points out that there are variations within the populations’ digital literacy levels. It highlights that a key aspect of fostering digital inclusion is to take into consideration those with challenges and low digital literacy when developing new digital solutions (Finnish Government, 2022). Table 1 presents the reviewed digitalisation policy documents from the Nordic countries, highlighting whether they focus on immigrant women, immigrants in general, the general population, or common challenges, as different groups might face similar challenges across the groups. For more details and links to the documents, see Appendix 1. Most policies adopt a ‘common challenges, common solutions’ approach. This approach and the proposed solutions and methods for enhancing digital inclusion are further discussed in Section 5.1. 

Table 1: Overview of reviewed digitalisation policy documents.