Denmark at the top of international digitalisation rankings
For more than a decade, Denmark has been placed in the very top group of countries in global benchmarks for digital government and public sector digitisation.
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In the United Nations E-Government Survey 2024, Denmark is again highlighted as one of the world’s leading digital governments, alongside countries such as Estonia, Singapore and the Republic of Korea. The survey scores how well public services are delivered online, the quality of infrastructure and the level of human capital.
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In the European Commission’s DESI index (Digital Economy and Society Index) Denmark consistently ranked among the top EU Member States, and in the final 2022 edition the country placed near the top on connectivity, digital public services and digital skills.
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In the newer Digital Decade country reporting, Denmark is still described as a frontrunner on connectivity, digital skills and digital public services, though with a need to bring more small and medium-sized enterprises fully into the digital economy.
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The OECD Digital Government work has repeatedly pointed to Denmark as an example of an integrated, user-focused digital public sector with strong online portals for citizens and businesses.
Taken together, these studies show that Denmark’s position is not a one-off result. It is the outcome of long-term investment in digital infrastructure, governance and citizen adoption.
Why Denmark is a model country for digital government
Denmark’s digital success did not start with the latest apps or COVID-19 responses. It builds on decisions taken more than 25 years ago.
Some of the key building blocks have been:
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A central population register and core data infrastructure that makes it possible to identify citizens and organisations reliably across public services.
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A national digital identity (MitID) that citizens and businesses can use to access banking, tax, health services and many other digital solutions.
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A secure Digital Postbox infrastructure used by public authorities and many private organisations to send important, often sensitive information digitally instead of on paper.
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A culture of “digital by default” in the public sector, where digital self-service is the normal way to interact with authorities for most people.
Government figures have previously estimated that digitisation has reduced processing time by around 30% and saved hundreds of millions of euros each year in administration and postage costs. More importantly, citizens now expect to be able to handle tax, benefits, health and education digitally as a matter of course.
What this looks like in everyday life
For citizens and businesses in Denmark, “top of the rankings” translates into very concrete experiences:
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Logging in with a trusted digital identity to handle tax, benefits, education and healthcare.
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Receiving official letters from authorities, banks, insurers and utilities in a secure Digital Postbox, clearly separated from everyday e-mail and SMS messages.
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Using online self-service portals instead of queuing at counters or filling in paper forms.
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Managing financial life through online banking, digital payslips and cashless payments.
This digital way of life only works because the underlying infrastructure is reliable and trusted. People need to feel confident that sensitive information is protected, that messages really come from the sender they claim to be from, and that digital services are available when needed.
That is why digital trust, strong security and robust governance are at the heart of Denmark’s digital strategy, not afterthoughts.
If you want to dive deeper into this concept, you can read our guide: What is digital trust? How it powers secure communication
The role of the Digital Postbox Platform
A central element in Denmark’s digital journey has been the move from physical letters and insecure e-mails to secure, structured digital post.
A Digital Postbox Platform is more than just another inbox. It is the digital equivalent of the locked letterbox outside a front door – except more secure, more traceable and easier to manage.
In a Digital Postbox:
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Only approved senders (such as authorities, banks, insurers, pension providers and utilities) can send messages.
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Messages are encrypted and stored securely for long periods, so citizens and businesses can find important documents when they need them.
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Delivery and access can be documented, which is essential in regulated industries and for legally significant communication.
Denmark’s Digital Post infrastructure, where e-Boks has played a key role for more than twenty years, is a practical example of how to turn abstract goals such as “digitisation” and “modernisation” into something tangible: one trusted place for important digital communication.
You can learn more about how Digital Postbox Platforms work here: What is a Digital Postbox? Benefits and use cases
Why trust, security and GDPR matter so much
The more critical processes move online, the more important it becomes to protect them properly. Denmark’s digital leadership goes hand in hand with strict requirements on privacy, cyber security and compliance.
This includes:
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Compliance with GDPR, including clear rules on data minimisation, consent and data subject rights.
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Use of strong encryption for sensitive documents in transit and at rest.
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Clear governance of who can send what, to whom, through which channels – especially in regulated sectors such as finance and healthcare.
For organisations, this means that digital communication strategies cannot be based on standard e-mail and generic cloud storage alone. They need secure, compliant infrastructure and clear customer communication management (CCM) strategies.
If you want to explore this in more detail, you can read:
Customer communications management guide: What it is & why it matters
What is data encryption? How it powers secure digital communication
Top GDPR tools and compliance platforms in 2025
Sustainability: digital by default, with a greener footprint
Denmark’s digital and climate ambitions are closely linked. When communication moves from paper to secure digital channels, it reduces the climate footprint from printing, envelopes, transportation and physical storage.
Digital communication is not the whole answer to climate change, but it can be one of the quickest wins for many organisations:
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Fewer physical letters and shipments
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Less paper waste and energy used in print production
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Easier to measure and report on the impact of going digital
You can read more in our sustainability and digital innovation guide: Tech for a greener future: Sustainability and digital innovation guide
What other countries and organisations can learn from Denmark
Denmark’s experience suggests a few practical lessons for governments and organisations that want to accelerate their own digital transformation:
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Invest in shared infrastructure. Common digital identity, core data registers and a national Digital Postbox Platform are powerful enablers.
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Start with the public sector. When authorities commit to digital by default, businesses and citizens quickly follow.
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Build and maintain trust. Security, privacy and reliability are not only technical issues. They are central to public confidence in digital services.
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Work with experienced partners. Denmark’s progress has involved close co-operation between public authorities and private providers such as e-Boks.
It is faster and less risky to adopt proven Digital Postbox Platforms and secure communication infrastructure than to build everything from scratch.
As an example, Oman Post, the national postal operator, has signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement with e-Boks to establish and operate Oman’s official national digital postbox.
How e-Boks fits into Denmark’s digital story
e-Boks has been part of Denmark’s digital backbone since 2001. Today:
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More than 30,000 public and private organisations send hundreds of millions of documents every year through e-Boks.
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Citizens and businesses use e-Boks as a trusted place for important documents from authorities, banks, insurers, pension providers, utilities and many other senders.
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The same platform now supports national and sector-specific Digital Postbox solutions in several countries.
By combining long experience in secure digital post with modern requirements for digital trust, encryption, GDPR compliance and sustainability, e-Boks helps organisations deliver on the same principles that keep Denmark at the top of international digitisation studies.
If you would like to explore how a Digital Postbox Platform could support your own digital strategy, our team are happy to share more concrete examples and use cases.
FAQs
Why is Denmark considered a leader in digitalisation?
Denmark is seen as a digital frontrunner because it combines strong public digital infrastructure with high citizen adoption and clear governance. Core elements include a national digital identity, secure Digital Postbox solutions for official communication, and a long tradition of “digital by default” in the public sector. International studies from the UN, EU and OECD consistently place Denmark among the most advanced digital governments.
What role does a Digital Postbox Platform play in Denmark’s digital success?
A Digital Postbox Platform is a key part of Denmark’s digital infrastructure. It gives citizens and businesses one secure place to receive important documents from authorities, banks, insurers, pension providers and utilities. Messages are encrypted, access is logged and delivery can be documented, which is essential in regulated sectors. This helps build digital trust and reduces reliance on insecure channels like standard email.
What can other countries and organisations learn from Denmark’s approach?
Other countries and organisations can learn the value of investing in shared digital infrastructure, such as national digital identity and secure Digital Postbox solutions, instead of many isolated systems. Denmark shows that starting with the public sector, working closely with experienced private partners and keeping trust, security and GDPR in focus can accelerate digital transformation while protecting citizens and businesses.
