The Digital Quality of Life (DQL) index is published annually based on research conducted by the privacy protection company Surfshark.
Researchers measure internet quality, affordability, e-security, online government services, and e-infrastructure.
This year’s edition of the DQL research concluded that 7 out of 10 countries with the highest digital quality of life are in Europe, with Denmark taking the global lead among 85 countries.
Digital Quality of Life Index- Irish performance
Ireland makes it into the top 20 in terms of e-security. In position 18, the country is well-equipped to protect itself from cyber threats.
However, compared to countries with similar GDP per capita, such as Norway or Switzerland, Ireland is lagging behind.
Norway’s in the 5th position in the DQL Index whereas Switzerland occupies 15th place.
Ireland is also way behind the UK in terms of its digital quality of life.
The UK ranks 7th globally and surpasses Ireland in all the pillars analysed in the DQL research.
Regionally, Canada stands out as a country with the highest digital quality of life in the Americas while Japan takes the leading position in Asia.
Among countries in Africa, people in South Africa enjoy the highest quality of their digital lives whereas New Zealand leads in Oceania, outperforming Australia in various digital areas.
Key global findings of the research:
- The COVID-19 outbreak had a significant impact on internet stability. 49 of 85 countries experienced drops in mobile and 44 in broadband speed due to the WFH setting.
- High inequality in affordability: people in 75% of the researched countries have to work more than the global average to afford the internet.
- E-security, e-infrastructure, and e-government have a more significant correlation with the digital quality of life than GDP per capital.
“Any country’s digital advancement and people’s online experiences have tangible relation to its economic potential and population’s overall wellbeing. To demonstrate this coherence, we are continuing our annual Digital Quality of Life research project that investigates multiple factors influencing people’s online experiences,” explains Dom Dimas, Head of DQL research at Surfshark. “The index aims to overlook any country’s digital preparedness’s status quo and establish a common ground for further conversation.”
Best digital quality in the world
The researchers found out that the best quality internet in the world is in Singapore, followed by Sweden and the Netherlands, whereas the internet, combining both mobile and broadband, is most affordable in Israel, Canada and Azerbaijan.
The United Kingdom, France, and Lithuania stand out globally for their e-security while Singapore, the UK, and the US lead in the advancement of e-governance services.
The last pillar examining the countries by their electronic infrastructure development level ranks the United Arab Emirates, Sweden, and Denmark as global leaders in this area.
The Digital Quality of Life study showed that none of the researched countries crossed the threshold of 0.8, and no country made it to the top three in all of the pillars, reflecting room for improvement in all digital areas.
The DQL research examined a total population of more than 6.3 billion people in terms of twelve indicators grouped into five pillars. The study is based on information provided by the United Nations, the World Bank, Freedom House, the International Communications Union, and other public data sources.
The Top 20 countries in the 2020 DQL index are (in the descending order):
Denmark, Sweden, Canada, France, Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, Poland, Finland, Singapore, Estonia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, New Zealand, Spain, Australia, and Italy.
The final 2020 Digital Quality of Life report and an interactive country comparison tool with country-level reports can be found here
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Patrick O Brien
Quelle/Source: Irish Tech News, 05.08.2020
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