INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE DIGITAL STATE IN UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF IMPLEMENTING THE UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

The article presents a theoretical, legal, and applied study of the institutional development of the digital state in Ukraine within the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and European integration. The research focuses on the legislative, organizational, and financial foundations of digital transformation in Ukrainian public institutions; its aim is to assess how institutional reforms have improved Ukraine’s positions in global e‑governance rankings (EGDI, EPI) and aligned national regulations with the EU acquis.The findings indicate that the establishment of the Ministry of Digital Transformation (2019) and introduction of the Chief Digital Transformation Officer role across government levels fostered the institutionalization of the digital state. Enactment of specialized laws laid the legal groundwork for over 140 e‑services used annually by over 20 million citizens. Owing to active implementation of EInformation, EConsultation, and EDecisionMaking components, Ukraine ranked first among 193 countries by the E‑Participation Index (EPI = 1.000) and 30th by the EGDI (0.884) in 2024, reflecting high-quality online services, telecommunications infrastructure, and human capital. Sociological data revealed that the share of the population with at least basic digital skills rose from 47 % in 2019 to 59.6 % in 2023.In conclusion, institutional reforms in the digital domain have yielded tangible improvements in global rankings and laid the groundwork for sustainable development and European integration. Unresolved challenges include harmonizing Ukrainian norms with the EU acquis, increasing R&D spending to the recommended 3 % of GDP, and developing oversight systems for cybersecurity and data protection. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of specific legislative initiatives, analyze the impact of emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, blockchain) on e‑governance, and conduct comparative studies with EGDI-leading countries.