Bitkom State Index 2024 - Focus on governance and administration

The new Bitkom state index reveals how digital our 16 federal states are. The digital ranking is based on the analysis of over 1,200 data points. The areas of economy, infrastructure, governance and administration as well as society were compared. Hamburg is the frontrunner in the governance and administration category.

Hamburg is ahead of Bavaria, with Saxony and Hesse sharing third place

In the governance and digital administration category, the implementation status of the digitalization of administrative services was examined and how digital policy is managed in the federal states. In addition to independent digital responsibility in the state government, for example in the form of a digital ministry and cabinet, this also includes the responsibility of a Chief Digital Officer, who is to deal exclusively with digitalization issues at state level. The progress of the Online Access Act (OZG) also plays a significant role as an indicator. The average of the federal states is 50 points. The Hanseatic city of Hamburg (64 points) leads the ranking, followed by Bavaria (60 points). Third place is shared by Saxony and Hesse (58 points).

Hamburg scored particularly well in the ranking with a digital cabinet (100 points), a digital check (100 points) and a digital strategy including monitoring (100 points). The Hanseatic city also leads the table when it comes to the implementation of OZG services (45 percent).

Bavaria has an independent Ministry of Digital Affairs (100 points) and the responsibility of a Chief Digital Officer (100 points). The state also has a digital cabinet (100 points) and a digital strategy (90 points). Bavaria has already implemented 43 percent of the OZG's digital administrative services. This puts the federal state in second place and performs better than the state average (35%) in terms of OZG implementation.

Saxony and Hesse share third place with 58 points each. Both federal states achieved the highest score for the digital check (100 points) and the digital strategy including monitoring (100 points). There are deviations in the remaining indicators. While Saxony stands out with a digital cabinet (100 points), Hesse scores well with its own digital ministry (100 points). There are also differences in the status quo of digital OZG services. Hesse (41%) is in third place, while Saxony is only in the midfield (36%).

Hidden champions Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Bremen and Saarland

The three federal states show particular potential in the introduction of a digital check and the existence of an independent digital responsibility in the state government.

In Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Chief Digital Officer bears a great deal of responsibility for digitalization (75 points). Accordingly, the federal state also ranks in the midfield for digital strategy and monitoring (65 points). However, all other indicators are below the national average. In particular, the state still has some catching up to do when it comes to the digital check (25 points) and the current lack of a digital cabinet.

Similar results can be seen in the Hanseatic city of Bremen. In addition to a Chief Digital Officer (75 points) and a digital strategy with monitoring (61 points), the city state scores well with a solid level of digitalization in the municipalities (62 points). However, the city state lacks a digital ministry and a digital check.

The greatest potential for development is in Saarland, which is below the national average in almost all indicators. While the Chief Digital Officer (75 points) is still very important, there is a lack of a digital check and implementation of the digital administrative services of the OZG (29 percent).

All information on the Bitkom State Index, the individual categories and country profiles can be found here.