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International Telecommunication Union
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ITU Digital Access Index: World’s First Global ICT Ranking
Education and Affordability Key to Boosting New Technology Adoption
Geneva, 19 November 2003 — The first
global index to rank Information and Communication Technology (ICT) access has
turned up some surprises. Slovenia ties France; and the Republic of Korea,
usually not among the top ten in international ICT rankings, comes in fourth.
Apart from Canada, ranked 10th, the top ten economies are exclusively Asian and
European. The Digital Access Index (DAI) distinguishes itself from other indices
by including a number of new variables, such as education and affordability. It
also covers a total of 178 economies, which makes it the first truly global ICT
ranking.
Countries are classified into one of four
digital access categories: high, upper, medium and low. Those in the upper
category include mainly nations from Central and Eastern Europe, the Caribbean,
Gulf States and emerging Latin American nations. Many have used ICTs as a
development enabler and government policies have helped them reach an impressive
level of ICT access. This includes major ICT projects such as the Dubai Internet
City in the United Arab Emirates (the highest ranked Arab nation in the DAI),
the Multimedia Super Corridor in Malaysia (the highest ranked developing Asian
nation) and the Cyber City in Mauritius (along with Seychelles, the highest
ranked African nation). The DAI will be a useful tool for tracking the future
advancement of these ambitious emerging economies.
The four Asian Tigers have made the greatest
progress in ICTs over the last four years. The results suggest that English is
no longer a decisive factor in quick technology adoption, especially as more
content is made available in other languages.
The DAI forms part of the ITU's upcoming 2003
edition of the World Telecommunication Development Report (WTDR). Published to
coincide with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), it will be a
vital reference for governments, international development agencies,
non-governmental organizations and the private sector to assess national
conditions in information and communications technology.
Redefining ICT potential
The results of the International
Telecommunication Union's new Digital Access Index suggest that it is time to
redefine ICT access potential. "Until now, limited infrastructure has often
been regarded as the main barrier to bridging the Digital Divide," says
Michael Minges of the Market, Economics and Finance Unit at ITU. "Our
research, however, suggests that affordability and education are equally
important factors." To measure the overall ability of individuals to access
and use ICTs, the ITU study has gone beyond the organization's traditional focus
on telecommunication infrastructure, such as mobile phones and fixed telephone
lines.
For example, nearly 40 percent of Peruvians
responding to a survey said they either did not have a computer or could not
afford Internet services, which points to affordability as a critical success
factor. Research has also shown that Internet use is closely linked to
education. In China over half of all Internet users are university educated. To
acknowledge such findings, the Index includes a number of new criteria, such as
school enrolment and Internet tariffs as a percentage of income.
The DAI combines eight variables, covering
five areas, to provide an overall country score. The areas are availability of
infrastructure, affordability of access, educational level, quality of ICT
services, and Internet usage. The results of the Index point to potential
stumbling blocks in ICT adoption and can help countries identify their relative
strengths and weaknesses.
The DAI overcomes other limitations of other
ICT indices. Besides its global scope, its carefully chosen variables guarantee
transparency. The DAI concentrates on factors that have an immediate impact on
determining an individual's potential to access ICTs. It deliberately omits
variables subject to qualitative judgment such as the regulatory environment.
"Market structure and degree of competition are open to levels of
interpretation," explains Minges. "We purposely exclude qualitative
factors - to avoid subjective bias in the calculation."
Information Societies Need Better Tools to
Set Targets, Gauge Progress
ITU's efforts to identify indicators for
measuring ICT access reflects a growing trend by the international community
towards the use of transparent and concrete measurements for monitoring country
performance. The United Nations has adopted a set of development targets, the
Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and associated indicators to monitor progress
towards the reduction of poverty, hunger and other areas. Access to ICTs is
included in the MDGs and laid out in Target 18: "In cooperation with the
private sector make available the benefits of new technologies, specifically
information and communication." The DAI provides a concrete tool to help
measure this key target.
The discussion around ICT is particularly
important, given the recognition that widespread access can boost economic
development and improve citizens' lives. The Internet allows instant access to
information from anywhere, anytime and holds major promises in improving health
care, delivering education and protecting the environment. ICTs have equally
been identified as a crucial tool to overcome other development goals, including
the MDGs.
The complete report provides an overview of
indicators used to measure access to the information society; looks at take-up
of information technology in business, education and government; and examines
the role between ICTs and the UN Millennium Development Goals. The WTDR will be
launched in early December just prior to WSIS, at a key UN meeting on monitoring
the information society.
For more information contact indicators@itu.int.
Online media accreditation/registration for
the Geneva Phase of WSIS is available here
About ITU
About WSIS
Digital Access Index 2002
HIGH ACCESS |
UPPER ACCESS |
MEDIUM ACCESS |
LOW ACCESS |
Sweden | 0.85 |
Denmark | 0.83 |
Iceland | 0.82 |
Korea (Rep.) | 0.82 |
Norway | 0.79 |
Netherlands | 0.79 |
Hong Kong, China | 0.79 |
Finland | 0.79 |
Taiwan, China | 0.79 |
Canada | 0.78 |
United States | 0.78 |
United Kingdom | 0.77 |
Switzerland | 0.76 |
Singapore | 0.75 |
Japan | 0.75 |
Luxembourg | 0.75 |
Austria | 0.75 |
Germany | 0.74 |
Australia | 0.74 |
Belgium | 0.74 |
New Zealand | 0.72 |
Italy | 0.72 |
France | 0.72 |
Slovenia | 0.72 |
Israel | 0.70 |
|
Ireland | 0.69 |
Cyprus | 0.68 |
Estonia | 0.67 |
Spain | 0.67 |
Malta | 0.67 |
Czech Republic | 0.66 |
Greece | 0.66 |
Portugal | 0.65 |
UAE | 0.64 |
Macao, China | 0.64 |
Hungary | 0.63 |
Bahamas | 0.62 |
Bahrain | 0.60 |
St. Kitts and Nevis | 0.60 |
Poland | 0.59 |
Slovak Republic | 0.59 |
Croatia | 0.59 |
Chile | 0.58 |
Antigua & Barbuda | 0.57 |
Barbados | 0.57 |
Malaysia | 0.57 |
Lithuania | 0.56 |
Qatar | 0.55 |
Brunei Darussalam | 0.55 |
Latvia | 0.54 |
Uruguay | 0.54 |
Seychelles | 0.54 |
Dominica | 0.54 |
Argentina | 0.53 |
Trinidad & Tobago | 0.53 |
Bulgaria | 0.53 |
Jamaica | 0.53 |
Costa Rica | 0.52 |
St. Lucia | 0.52 |
Kuwait | 0.51 |
Grenada | 0.51 |
Mauritius | 0.50 |
Russia | 0.50 |
Mexico | 0.50 |
Brazil | 0.50 |
|
Belarus | 0.49 |
Lebanon | 0.48 |
Thailand | 0.48 |
Romania | 0.48 |
Turkey | 0.48 |
TFYR Macedonia | 0.48 |
Panama | 0.47 |
Venezuela | 0.47 |
Belize | 0.47 |
St. Vincent | 0.46 |
Bosnia | 0.46 |
Suriname | 0.46 |
South Africa | 0.45 |
Colombia | 0.45 |
Jordan | 0.45 |
Serbia & Montenegro | 0.45 |
Saudi Arabia | 0.44 |
Peru | 0.44 |
China | 0.43 |
Fiji | 0.43 |
Botswana | 0.43 |
Iran (I.R.) | 0.43 |
Ukraine | 0.43 |
Guyana | 0.43 |
Philippines | 0.43 |
Oman | 0.43 |
Maldives | 0.43 |
Libya | 0.42 |
Dominican Rep. | 0.42 |
Tunisia | 0.41 |
Ecuador | 0.41 |
Kazakhstan | 0.41 |
Egypt | 0.40 |
Cape Verde | 0.39 |
Albania | 0.39 |
Paraguay | 0.39 |
Namibia | 0.39 |
Guatemala | 0.38 |
El Salvador | 0.38 |
Palestine | 0.38 |
Sri Lanka | 0.38 |
Bolivia | 0.38 |
Cuba | 0.38 |
Samoa | 0.37 |
Algeria | 0.37 |
Turkmenistan | 0.37 |
Georgia | 0.37 |
Swaziland | 0.37 |
Moldova | 0.37 |
Mongolia | 0.35 |
Indonesia | 0.34 |
Gabon | 0.34 |
Morocco | 0.33 |
India | 0.32 |
Kyrgyzstan | 0.32 |
Uzbekistan | 0.31 |
Viet Nam | 0.31 |
Armenia | 0.30 |
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Zimbabwe | 0.29 |
Honduras | 0.29 |
Syria | 0.28 |
Papua New Guinea | 0.26 |
Vanuatu | 0.24 |
Pakistan | 0.24 |
Azerbaijan | 0.24 |
S. Tomé & Principe | 0.23 |
Tajikistan | 0.21 |
Equatorial Guinea | 0.20 |
Kenya | 0.19 |
Nicaragua | 0.19 |
Lesotho | 0.19 |
Nepal | 0.19 |
Bangladesh | 0.18 |
Yemen | 0.18 |
Togo | 0.18 |
Solomon Islands | 0.17 |
Cambodia | 0.17 |
Uganda | 0.17 |
Zambia | 0.17 |
Myanmar | 0.17 |
Congo | 0.17 |
Cameroon | 0.16 |
Ghana | 0.16 |
Lao P.D.R. | 0.15 |
Malawi | 0.15 |
Tanzania | 0.15 |
Haiti | 0.15 |
Nigeria | 0.15 |
Djibouti | 0.15 |
Rwanda | 0.15 |
Madagascar | 0.15 |
Mauritania | 0.14 |
Senegal | 0.14 |
Gambia | 0.13 |
Bhutan | 0.13 |
Sudan | 0.13 |
Comoros | 0.13 |
Côte d'Ivoire | 0.13 |
Eritrea | 0.13 |
D.R. Congo | 0.12 |
Benin | 0.12 |
Mozambique | 0.12 |
Angola | 0.11 |
Burundi | 0.10 |
Guinea | 0.10 |
Sierra Leone | 0.10 |
Central Af. Rep. | 0.10 |
Ethiopia | 0.10 |
Guinea-Bissau | 0.10 |
Chad | 0.10 |
Mali | 0.09 |
Burkina Faso | 0.08 |
Niger | 0.04 |
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Note: On a scale of 0 to 1 where 1 = highest access. DAI values are shown to hundreds of a decimal point. Countries with the same DAI value are ranked by thousands of a decimal point.
Source: ITU |
Highlights of Digital Access Index (DAI), 2002
Rank |
Overall |
Economy |
DAI |
|
Rank |
Overall |
Economy |
DAI |
Top 5 in Sub-Saharan Africa |
|
Top 5 in the Arab region |
1 |
52 |
Seychelles |
0.54 |
|
1 |
34 |
United Arab Emirates |
0.64 |
2 |
62 |
Mauritius |
0.50 |
|
2 |
42 |
Bahrain |
0.584 |
3 |
78 |
South Africa |
0.45 |
|
3 |
48 |
Qatar |
0.55 |
4 |
86 |
Botswana |
0.43 |
|
4 |
60 |
Kuwait |
0.51 |
5 |
99 |
Cape Verde |
0.39 |
|
5 |
67 |
Lebanon |
0.48 |
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Top 10 in Americas |
1 |
10 |
Canada |
0.78 |
|
6 |
44 |
Antigua & Barbuda |
0.57 |
2 |
11 |
United States |
0.78 |
|
7 |
45 |
Barbados |
0.57 |
3 |
37 |
Bahamas |
0.62 |
|
8 |
51 |
Uruguay |
0.54 |
4 |
38 |
St. Kitts and Nevis |
0.60 |
|
9 |
53 |
Dominica |
0.54 |
5 |
43 |
Chile |
0.58 |
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10 |
54 |
Argentina |
0.53 |
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Top 5 in developed Asia-Pacific |
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Top 5 in developing Asia-Pacific |
1 |
4 |
Korea (Rep.) |
0.82 |
|
1 |
46 |
Malaysia |
0.57 |
2 |
7 |
Hong Kong, China |
0.79 |
|
2 |
49 |
Brunei Darussalam |
0.55 |
3 |
9 |
Taiwan, China |
0.79 |
|
3 |
68 |
Thailand |
0.48 |
4 |
14 |
Singapore |
0.75 |
|
4 |
84 |
China |
0.43 |
5 |
15 |
Japan |
0.75 |
|
5 |
85 |
Fiji |
0.43 |
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Top 5 in Western Europe |
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Top 5 in Central and Eastern Europe |
1 |
1 |
Sweden |
0.85 |
|
1 |
24 |
Slovenia |
0.72 |
2 |
2 |
Denmark |
0.83 |
|
2 |
26 |
Estonia |
0.69 |
3 |
3 |
Iceland |
0.82 |
|
3 |
32 |
Czech Republic |
0.66 |
4 |
5 |
Norway |
0.79 |
|
4 |
36 |
Hungary |
0.63 |
5 |
6 |
Netherlands |
0.79 |
|
5 |
39 |
Poland |
0.59 |
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Top 5 gains in ranking, 1998-2002 |
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Top 5 drops in ranking, 1998-2002 |
Rank '98 |
Rank '02 |
Economy |
Change |
|
Rank '98 |
Rank '02 |
Economy |
Change |
24 |
4 |
Korea (Rep.) |
20 |
|
12 |
21 |
New Zealand |
-9 |
22 |
9 |
Taiwan, China |
13 |
|
11 |
19 |
Australia |
-8 |
20 |
14 |
Singapore |
6 |
|
30 |
36 |
South Africa |
-6 |
13 |
7 |
Hong Kong, China |
6 |
|
17 |
23 |
France |
-6 |
7 |
2 |
Denmark |
5 |
|
5 |
11 |
United States |
-6 |
Relative to 40 economies for which data was available in 1998. |
Digital Access Index Technical Note
The Digital Access Index (DAI) measures the overall ability of individuals in a country to access and use Information and Communication Technology. It consists of eight variables organized into five categories. Each variable is converted to an indicator with a value between zero and one by dividing it by the maximum value or "goalpost". Each indicator is then weighted within its category and the resulting category index values are averaged to obtain the overall DAI value.
Category |
Variable |
Values for Hong Kong, China |
Goal-post |
Indicator |
Weight |
Category index |
1. Infrastructure |
1. Fixed telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants |
2. Mobile cellular subscribers per 100 inhabitants |
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2. Affordability |
3.1 - (Internet access price as percentage of Gross National Income per capita) |
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3. Knowledge |
4. Adult Literacy |
5. Combined primary, secondary and tertiary school enrolment level |
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4. Quality |
6. International Internet bandwidth (bits) per capita |
7. Broadband subscribers per 100 inhabitants |
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5. Usage |
8. Internet users per 100 inhabitants |
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Digital Access Index (Average of 5 categories above) |
0.79 |
Note: a) Because of the large spread of values among economies, a logarithm is used to calculate this value: (LOG (1’867) – LOG (0.01)) / (LOG (10’000) – LOG (0.01)) |
Top five economies by DAI categories, 2002
Infrastructure: Top 5 by fixed telephone subscribers per 100 inhabitants |
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Infrastructure: Top 5 by mobile cellular subscribers per 100 inhabitants |
1 |
Sweden |
65.25 |
|
1 |
Taiwan, China |
106.5 |
2 |
United States |
65.02 |
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2 |
Luxembourg |
105.4 |
3 |
Cyprus |
62.44 |
|
3 |
Israel |
95.5 |
4 |
Canada |
61.30 |
|
4 |
Italy |
92.5 |
5 |
Taiwan, China |
57.45 |
|
5 |
Hong Kong, China |
91.6 |
Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicator database. |
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Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicator database. |
Affordability: Top 5 by Internet tariff as percentage of per capita
income |
1 |
Hong Kong, China |
0.19 |
2 |
United States |
0.51 |
3 |
Singapore |
0.64 |
4 |
Denmark |
0.68 |
5 |
Canada |
0.68 |
Note: Calculated as cheapest price for 20 hours of Internet use per month divided by per capita income from the World Bank.
Source: ITU
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Knowledge: Top by UNDP Education index |
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Literacy |
School enrolment |
Education index |
Australia |
99 |
114 |
0.99 |
Belgium |
99 |
107 |
0.99 |
Denmark |
99 |
98 |
0.99 |
Finland |
99 |
103 |
0.99 |
Netherlands |
99 |
99 |
0.99 |
New Zealand |
99 |
99 |
0.99 |
Norway |
99 |
98 |
0.99 |
Sweden |
99 |
113 |
0.99 |
United Kingdom |
99 |
112 |
0.99 |
Note: The Education index is calculated as (2/3) times the literacy rate and (1/3) the school enrolment. Countries are shown in alphabetical order. The methodology and data are from the UNDP. |
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Quality: Top 5 by broadband Internet subscribers per 100 inhabitants |
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Quality: Top 5 by International Internet bandwidth (bits) per
inhabitant |
1 |
Korea (Rep.) |
21.9 |
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1 |
Denmark |
20'284 |
2 |
Hong Kong, China |
14.6 |
|
2 |
Sweden |
10'611 |
3 |
Canada |
11.1 |
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3 |
Netherlands |
10'327 |
4 |
Taiwan, China |
9.4 |
|
4 |
Switzerland |
8'991 |
5 |
Belgium |
8.4 |
|
5 |
Belgium |
8'121 |
Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicator database. |
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Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicator database. |
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Usage: Top 5 by Internet users per 100 inhabitants |
1 |
Iceland |
64.9 |
2 |
Sweden |
57.3 |
3 |
Korea (Rep.) |
55.2 |
4 |
United States |
55.1 |
5 |
Japan |
54.5 |
Source: ITU World Telecommunication Indicator database. |
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