The TESS Index: A progress indicator for the EU and its Member States (cepAdhoc)

Overall, Germany lands in sixth place - behind Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Denmark and Austria. Especially in sustainability and digitalisation, Germany lags significantly. While Germany can compensate for the weaknesses in broadband access for private households in technology due to high spending on research and development as well as good transport infrastructure, there is also a lack of progress in environment. Germany is only ranked eleventh in this category. "Germany's comparatively poor ranking in the environmental category of the index is primarily due to a mediocre share of renewable energies in final energy consumption and pollutant emissions," says cep economist André Wolf, who developed the index.

Germany only ranks seventh in social issues. A low youth unemployment rate contrasts with an above-average gender wage gap in an EU comparison, and relatively low education spending. Germany also ranks seventh in the regulation and fight against corruption, which is a sub-category of the index.

France and Italy have a lot of catching up to do, especially in social affairs and state.