43% of countries worldwide lag behind in e-infrastructure, posing internet growth concerns
By Zion Rufus
The digital divide remains a formidable challenge on the global stage, with 43% of countries worldwide grappling with poor electronic infrastructure, according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
In a world where digital connectivity is increasingly vital for access to information, education, and economic opportunities, the disparity in e-infrastructure raises concerns about the growth of global internet users.
ITU’s latest data reveals that, as of 2023, 67% of the global population is connected to the internet. This marks only a marginal increase of 1% compared to the previous year’s 66%.
Interestingly, the preceding two years witnessed a more robust 3% annual growth in internet users. This plateauing of internet adoption suggests that global growth in internet users may be on the brink of stagnation.
Surfshark’s annual Digital Quality of Life Index delved deeper into the state of e-infrastructure across 121 countries, providing key insights into this digital divide.
Shockingly, the report found that a staggering 52 out of the analyzed countries suffer from poor e-infrastructure, significantly hindering their digital connectivity capabilities.
Building and improving e-infrastructure necessitates substantial investments, but many countries with inadequate e-infrastructure also grapple with low wealth levels. On average, these countries exhibit a GDP per capita of just $4.3k, nearly eight times lower than the countries boasting robust e-infrastructure with an average GDP per capita of $32.6k.
Africa, in particular, faces formidable challenges in this regard, with a whopping 96% of analyzed African countries classified under the “poor e-infrastructure” category. Remarkably, only one African nation, Kenya, stands out with higher-than-average e-infrastructure, despite a low GDP per capita of $2.1k. This underlines the notion that a country’s wealth is not the sole determinant of e-infrastructure development.
In contrast, Europe presents a more encouraging landscape, with the majority of European nations enjoying well-developed electronic infrastructure. Only 13% of European countries fall below the e-infrastructure average.
These nations include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Moldova, and North Macedonia, underscoring the need for concerted efforts to bridge the digital gap.
As the world continues its relentless march into the digital age, addressing this digital divide becomes increasingly imperative.
The disparities in e-infrastructure must be tackled head-on through strategic investments, policy reforms, and international collaboration to ensure equitable access to the countless benefits of the digital realm for all nations and their citizens.
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