Data was collected in four categories with 26 indicators for this year’s index. Glaring differences emerged between the states in terms of digitalization, according to Ralf Wintergerst, President of Bitkom, adding: "Most states notched up top scores in individual fields.” Hamburg topped the categories "Digital Infrastructure” and "Governance & Digital Administration thanks to its digital strategy, a digital cabinet, project monitoring and a digital check. The city also has the best fibre-optic coverage (65 per cent of households) nationwide - 5Gm - and above-average gigabit coverage for private households (95 per cent) and companies (93 per cent). Around 20,585 electric cars or 2.5 per cent of all vehicles are on roads across Hamburg. Around 45 per cent of services in the city are now digital, as foreseen by the Online Access Act (OZG), putting Hamburg ahead of other German states with an average 35 per cent.
The state of Hamburg has topped the "Bitkom State Index 2024" with 73.5 points ahead of Berlin (71.5 points) and Bavaria (66.9 points), a press release said Tuesday (April 16, 2024). The City of Hamburg scored points for its digital administration and infrastructure and performed better than other German states. More than 5,600 people were surveyed and third-party studies and official statistics were used to draw up the index.
Top marks for digital infrastructure and administration
Hamburg comes second for digital economy
Hamburg came second in the “Digital Economy” category based on 85,500 companies, 19 universities, 4,155 Information and Communication Technology companies (a 4.9 per cent share compared to a national average of 2.9 per cent) and EUR 1.5 billion expenditure on R&D. Around 158 of 2,489 start-ups founded nationwide were set up in Hamburg last year after Berlin, which has more start-ups per 100,000 inhabitants. Another best practice is the ability to register one's place of residence electronically. Residents of Hamburg can now register their domicile or change of address digitally, anytime and anywhere, using the chip on their ID card or eID card.
City states leading the way
City states or federal states with a high population density tend to lead the index. The city states of Hamburg, Berlin and Bremen scored 68 points, while the federal states with large populations scored only 58 points. Political will and assertiveness are the main reasons for this, according to Wintergerst: "The federal states are not dependent on the federal government or the EU. Digitisation is a matter for the federal states themselves." Bitkom has welcomed the new "digital ministerial conference", which is due to meet for the first time soon.
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