The new Digital Sovereignty Index reveals significant disparities between countries in the use of self-hosted digital tools, which are crucial for ensuring technological independence.
Digital sovereignty is no longer an abstract concept or limited to academic debates. In the era of cloud computing and growing concerns over control of sensitive data, governments, companies, and citizens are starting to ask: who truly controls our digital infrastructure?
The answer is beginning to emerge thanks to the Digital Sovereignty Index (DSI), a metric developed to measure the relative use of self-hosted collaboration and productivity tools across more than 50 countries. Based on data from servers detectable through the Shodan search engine, the index provides a clear picture: Europe leads, but with notable differences among its members.
Finland and Germany top the list, with scores of 64.5 and 53.8 respectively, followed by the Netherlands at 36.3. In these countries, both organizations and individuals are opting for sovereign alternatives over services offered by tech giants like Google and Microsoft.
Conversely, Spain (7.01) and Italy (6.49) are well below the European average of 16.3, exposing a concerning gap between political discourse and actual implementation of digital sovereignty. Despite initiatives like Gaia-X or plans to reinforce national data storage, reliance on foreign infrastructures remains the norm.
The report also highlights the paradox of highly digitalized countries with low adoption of self-hosted tools, such as Sweden (14.2) and Denmark (6.5), which, despite advanced tech infrastructure, do not prioritize sovereignty over data management. In contrast, Switzerland (23.3) and Austria (20.2) show a stronger commitment to self-hosting, surpassing the EU average.
The Baltic states, traditionally leaders in digital government—Estonia (18.4) and Latvia (16.6)—are near the average, suggesting that an advanced public sector does not automatically guarantee digital sovereignty across society.
Outside Europe, the position of the United States (14.88) draws attention. Despite being home to major cloud platforms, the adoption of sovereign tools is weak, especially for groupware solutions like email or calendars. Countries such as India (0.43), Mexico (0.57), and Nigeria (0.03) rank at the bottom.
The DSI does not measure laws, intentions, or public policies. It assesses facts: how many self-hosted, libre server software are actually being used per 100,000 citizens. Tools like Nextcloud, Jitsi, Matrix, Mailcow, Proxmox, OpenProject, or OnlyOffice are tracked in real-time to calculate the index.
The metric focuses on real users—small businesses, associations, and individuals—not so much on governments or large corporations. This explains why, for example, Germany exhibits higher digital sovereignty among citizens than in the public sector, which remains highly dependent on proprietary licenses.
According to the report, the EU’s deficit in digital services—such as software licenses, storage, and cloud services—reached €148 billion in 2024 compared to the U.S. “A Zeitenwende (change of era) in digital sovereignty is urgent,” states Harald Wehnes, a computer science professor in Würzburg.
Sebastian Raible, director of EU relations at the European Free Software Association (EPFL), advocates for “open technological sovereignty”: “Only with open technologies and standards can Europe innovate sustainably.”
Frank Karlitschek, CEO of Nextcloud, summarizes: “For many, digital sovereignty simply means having control over the server where their information is stored.” He adds that the DSI shows that millions have already made that choice, while governments remain tied to major U.S. providers.
The report concludes that digital sovereignty is not achieved through intentions but through real servers, accessible infrastructures, and collective will to regain control over our data.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
🔍 What is the Digital Sovereignty Index (DSI)?
It’s a metric that measures how many self-hosted collaboration and productivity tools are actually used in a country per 100,000 inhabitants, based on detectable servers online.
🌍 Which countries lead the index?
Finland, Germany, and the Netherlands top the ranking. Spain, Italy, and the UK are among the lowest in Europe.
📉 Why does Spain score so low?
Despite supportive political rhetoric, practical implementation is limited. Most infrastructures are still controlled by foreign tech giants.
🧠 Does the index measure government policies?
No. It reflects the actual use of sovereign tools within society, especially among citizens, NGOs, small businesses, and groups managing their own servers.