  Digital competence (DC) is a broad set of skills, attitudes, and knowledge
for confident, critical and responsible use of digital technologies in every
aspect of life. DC is fundamental to all people in conducting a productive and
fulfilling life in an increasingly digital world. However, prejudices,
misconceptions, and lack of awareness reduce the diffusion of DC, hindering
digital transformation and preventing countries and people from realising their
full potential. Teaching Informatics in the curriculum is increasingly
supported by the institutions but faces serious challenges, such as teacher
upskilling and support, and will require several years to observe sizeable
outcomes. In response, grassroots movements promoting computing literacy in an
informal setting have grown, including EU Code Week, whose vision is to develop
computing skills while promoting diversity and raising awareness of the
importance of digital skills. Code Week participation is a form of public
engagement that could be affected by socio-economic and demographic factors, as
any other form of participation. The aim of the manuscript is twofold: first,
to offer a detailed and comprehensive statistical description of Code Week's
participation in the EU Member States in terms of penetration, retention,
demographic composition, and spatial distribution in order to inform more
effective awareness-raising campaigns; second, to investigate the impact of
socio-economic factors on Code Week involvement. The study identifies a strong
negative correlation between participation and income at different geographical
scales. It also suggests underlying mechanisms driving participation that are
coherent with the "psychosocial" and the "resource" views, i.e. the two most
widely accepted explanations of the effect of income on public engagement.
