Information technology sector in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) - statistics & facts

In addition to its long-standing reputation as an industrial manufacturing hub, Central and Eastern Europe is now a hotspot for technology-intensive industries. Information technology (IT) is one of the rapidly developing sectors in the region, with a high number of up-and-coming startups and established enterprises providing a variety of services ranging from software development to data center management.

CEE has become an IT outsourcing haven

Central and Eastern Europe has developed into a prominent IT outsourcing destination owing to skilled professionals providing services at a lower cost than in Western European countries. IT specialists from the region are equally sought after by overseas as well as European companies that wish to outsource their IT operations. Poland has the largest offshoring market in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly when it comes to software development services. In 2023, there were 400,000 software developers in the country, and Ukraine followed with 200,000 developers. Poland also registered the highest export value of ICT services in the region in 2022, totaling over 13 billion U.S. dollars. Romania and Czechia followed in the ranking, with export values of 9.8 billion and 6.9 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. In terms of salary costs, Belarus and Hungary recorded the lowest annual salaries for software developers, while Ukraine and Poland had the highest.

Tech giants propel demand for data centers

Technological transformation, artificial intelligence, and the shift from on-site infrastructure to cloud solutions drive an increasing demand for data centers across Europe. CEE countries have proven to be attractive locations for establishing data centers due to strong cybersecurity measures, affordability, and favorable tax policies. Russia, Romania, Poland, and Czechia are emerging as prominent data center hubs in the region, with revenues forecast to increase over the following years. Alongside regional companies, major international players such as Microsoft Azure and Google operate data centers in Central and Eastern Europe. Russia had the highest number of data centers in 2023 at 59 units, followed by Romania and Poland, which operated 48 and 42 data centers, respectively. However, with the industry’s accelerated growth, the European Union member states need to address the environmental impact of the increasing demand for digital solutions. Industry players are under compulsion to switch to clean energy to reach the stated goal of the EU of achieving data center climate neutrality by 2030.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Flora Medve, Jan 25, 2024

Key insights

CEE country with the highest IT competitiveness index
Estonia
CEE country with the highest IT infrastructure competitiveness index
Romania
CEE country with the highest IT talent competitiveness index
Poland
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Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Number of data centers in Central and Eastern Europe in 2023, by country

Hardware

Number of data centers in CEE 2023, by country

Revenue from IT services in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 2023 and 2028, by country (in billion U.S. dollars)

IT Services

IT services revenue in CEE 2023-2028, by country

Revenue of the software market in Central and Eastern Europe from 2016 to 2028, by country (in million U.S. dollars)

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Software market revenue in CEE 2016-2028, by country

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