Methodological Approach and Empirical Assessment of Digital Inclusiveness Index: Evidence from Ukraine and the EU Countries

Abstract

This article summarizes arguments and counterarguments within the scientific debate on measuring the digital divide, the objectivity of weighting methods in composite indices, and cross-country digital convergence dynamics. The main objective of the study is to develop an objective methodological framework for assessing the Digital Inclusiveness Index and to empirically evaluate its dynamics, structural transformations, and spatial convergence across Ukraine and 27 European Union member states over the 2003–2024 period. Systematization of literature sources indicates that existing evaluation methodologies frequently rely on subjective expert scoring or static indicator weighting, which distorts long-term assessment during rapid technological shifts. The author’s scientific contribution lies in overcoming these limitations through the conceptualization of a three-component framework encompassing digital infrastructure accessibility, digital governance engagement, and socio-technological readiness, combined with a dynamic rolling Shannon entropy weighting approach that continuously captures the shifting information capacity of empirical indicators. Methodological tools included the rolling Shannon entropy method for dynamic weight calculation, linear min-max normalization shifted to a positive range, additive aggregation, correlation analysis, as well as Ordinary Least Squares regression models to measure sigma-convergence via the coefficient of variation and absolute beta-convergence following the Barro and Sala-i-Martin analytical framework. The empirical research is based on a balanced panel dataset covering 2003 – 2024 (22 years, 616 observations) for 28 countries. The scientific novelty of the results stems from proving the non-stationarity of indicator weights over time, confirming active long-term sigma-convergence with a reduction in the variation coefficient from 0.549 to 0.354, and demonstrating statistically significant absolute beta-convergence at an annual speed of 4.53 percent with a half-life of 15.3 years. Furthermore, the study identifies a unique catch-up trajectory for Ukraine, which narrowed its gap with the European Union average to driven by securing second position overall in Digital Governance Engagement following the scale-up of public e-services. The research proves that accelerated digital governance adoption serves as a vital compensating driver to mitigate broader digital inequality even under infrastructure constraints and war-induced shocks. The practical significance of the findings lies in providing objective empirical evidence for the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, European integration analysts, and international bodies.