Digital Quality of Life Index 2020

Digital Quality of Life Index 2020

• The report was released recently.
• The index is prepared by Surfshark, a virtual private network (VPN) provider based in the British Virgin Islands.
• It seeks to rank countries on internet affordability and quality, and electronic infrastructure, security, and government. All parameters have equal weightage.

Performance of other countries:

• Top 3: Scandinavian countries Denmark and Sweden topped the index, with Canada rounding up the top three.
• Israel offered the cheapest internet — calculated by considering how much time one must work to be able to afford the cheapest mobile internet and broadband.
• Of the total countries, 75% of them have to work more than the global average to afford the internet.
• Singapore, the UK, and the US performed the best on the e-government indicator — arrived at by checking the state of government’s online presence and readiness to employ artificial intelligence technology and help “minimize bureaucracy, reduce corruption and increase the transparency of the public sector”.
• The UK, France, and Lithuania offer the most security — cybersecurity and status of personal data protection.
• Best Internet Quality- Singapore, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
• The UAE, Sweden, and Denmark have the most developed e-infrastructure.

India’s performance:

• Of 85 countries, India ranked 9th on the internet affordability indicator and 15th on e-government.
• Overall, India is ranked 57th.
• Internet cost- India scored the best on this parameter, leading countries like the UK, US, and China.
• e-government indicator- India secured 15th position on this, ahead of the Netherlands, China and Belgium.
• Security- India performed poorly here, standing at 57th position.
• Internet quality- With a rank of 78, it fell behind countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Nigeria, and the Philippines.
• On electronic infrastructure — focusing on active internet users and information and communications technology adoption rate — India ranked 79th, behind neighbors Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.

Source: The Hindu