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Tech (Times Of Ocean)- The third annual edition of the Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) ranks Iran 83rd among 110 countries worldwide. Covering 90% of the global population, the DQL study is conducted by the cybersecurity company Surfshark and evaluates countries based on a set of five fundamental digital wellbeing pillars. Iran, however, scores slightly better in the affordability category (31) than in the quality category (94), the e-infrastructure category (68), the e-security category (93) and the e-government category (81).
Overall, Iran has demonstrated one of the most dramatic drops compared to DQL 2020, falling from 56th place to 83rd. Regionally, Iran ranks 23rd in Asia and surpasses Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Iran ranks 31st in internet affordability, 20% better than the global average. People have to spend 1 hour 41 minutes of work to afford the cheapest broadband package, whereas the worldwide average is 6 hours.
However, Iran has room for improvement in all digital wellbeing areas, especially internet quality and e-security. The country’s broadband speed (18.61 Mbps) is one of the lowest globally, ranking 97th.
The global digital wellbeing study shows that Iran dropped 27 places down since last year, ranks 23rd in Asia
“Digital opportunities have proved to be more important than ever during the COVID19 crisis, stressing the importance for every country to ensure fully remote operational capacities for their economies,” – explains Vytautas Kaziukonis, CEO of Surfshark. “That is why, for the third year in a row, we continue the Digital Quality of Life research, which provides a robust global outlook into how countries excel digitally. The index sets the basis for meaningful discussions about how digital advancement impacts a country’s prosperity and where improvements can be made.”
In an all-around picture, 6 out of 10 countries holding the highest scores are located in Europe, following last year’s trend. Denmark ranks 1st in DQL for the second year in a row and is closely followed by South Korea. Finland ranks 3rd, while Israel and the U.S. round out the top five of 110 nations that were evaluated. The bottom 5 countries are Ethiopia, Cambodia, Cameroon, Guatemala, and Angola.
Regionally, the U.S. stands out as a country with the highest digital quality of life in the Americas, while South Korea takes the leading position in Asia. Among countries in Africa, people in South Africa enjoy the highest quality of their digital lives whereas Australia leads in Oceania, outperforming New Zealand in various digital areas.
Other significant findings of the report include:
- Broadband is globally less affordable this year. Comparing countries included in both DQL20 and DQL21, people have to work 11% more (25 min more) to afford broadband internet in 2021. However, people have to work 29% less (28 min less) to afford mobile internet this year.
- The world’s worst internet is the least affordable. People in some countries, such as Nigeria, Côte D’Ivoire and Mali require approximately a week’s worth of work to afford the internet.
- Investing in electronic infrastructure and electronic government contributes to people’s digital wellbeing the most.
The 2021 DQL research examined a total population of more than 6.9 billion people in terms of five core pillars and 14 underpinning indicators that provide a comprehensive measure. The study is based on open-source information provided by the United Nations, the World Bank, Freedom House, the International Communications Union, and other sources.