Assessing digital economy indicators in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals

The digital economy’s role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has attracted significant attention, with many countries proposing digital development strategies. However, differences in objectives and indicators hinder international comparability. This paper establishes a conceptual framework for the digital economy based on the SDGs and the Global Digital Compact. Using this framework, 20 existing indicator systems are analyzed in terms of coverage. Findings show that existing systems mainly focus on “Decent Work and Economic Growth” (SDG 8) and “Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions” (SDG 16), but underrepresent SDGs 1, 5, 6, 7, 14, 15, and 17. Regarding digitalization and inequality, indicators emphasize connectivity, governance, shared access, and security, while neglecting digital cooperation, human rights, data protection, and global collaboration. The proposed framework serves as a comprehensive tool for assessing the digital economy and guiding policies. This study supports refining measurement systems to better evaluate digital development and its impact on sustainability.