Once again, the United States has taken top spot in the Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2024, leading the way for the third consecutive year. Singapore and Finland hold second and third places, respectively, marking no change from the past three years.
Published by Portulans Institute and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, the NRI confirms that the US is a world leader in its access to, and use of information and communications technology (ICT).
There has been some movement in the top ten, however, with the United Kingdom moving up to eighth place from tenth, whilst Sweden moved up one spot to fourth, and South Korea up two places to fifth. Topping the leader board are the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, and Denmark.
Network Readiness Index is an international ranking system, measuring how effectively ICT is used, as well as its influence on global economies.
Bruno Lanvin, co-editor of NRI, stresses the importance of having reliable frameworks like the NRI in the current unpredictable digital environment. “Data is not the new oil. It is the new air. In all parts of the world, both the private and public sector strive to be ready for a global digital economy that is neither fully charted nor consistently governed yet.”
“In such a fluid context, tools like the Network Readiness Index, which provide definitive metrics, will be a necessary condition to make the right decisions.”
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a Knowledge Partner for the NRI, providing research into how cloud technology can have a key impact on economies and innovation worldwide. Jeffrey B. Kratz, Vice President, Worldwide Public Sector Industry Sales at AWS, emphasised how collaboration between sectors is crucial for shaping the future of digital economies.
“At AWS, we’ve witnessed first-hand the transformative power of partnerships between the public and private sector, and building a digital tomorrow requires not just technological advancements, but also a shared vision and commitment to global collaboration.”
In the latest NRI report, a version called ‘Building a Digital Tomorrow: Public-Private Investments and Global Collaboration for Digital Readiness,’ covers 133 economies which are evaluated and ranked based on their preparedness and performance in using ICT.
The latest assessment is categorised by four pillars:
- Technology
- People
- Governance
- Impact
Each of these is further divided into three smaller categories (sub-pillars), which are evaluated using 54 variables or factors.
The primary goal of the NRI is to reveal possible disparities between different regions in terms of development levels and economies. The NRI 2024 shows the United States’ dominance across innovation metrics and technology adoption. It leads the way in digital business transformation and areas such as scientific AI publications.
Co-founder and President of Portulans Institute, Co-editor of the NRI, and Dean of Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Professor Soumitra Dutta, emphasised the importance of the NRI, saying, “As digital transformation accelerates, the NRI 2024 highlights the essential role of public-private partnerships in building the foundations for digital readiness. By working together, governments, businesses, and civil society can create robust frameworks of governance, stability, and trust that enable technology to reach its full potential in enhancing social and economic well-being.”
Professor Dutta said the findings of the report highlight how closely connected policymaking, innovation, and their effects on society are, and how they are “helping to chart a path towards a resilient digital ecosystem.”
The US is the only country from the Americas in the top ten, whereas Singapore and Korea are the sole Asian representatives. Europe, meanwhile, dominates in global network readiness, occupying the remaining top ten spots.
Seventeen countries, mostly Western and Scandinavian, represent Europe in the report, underscoring how advanced economies are excelling in network readiness. Asia’s representatives are Singapore, China, South Korea, and Japan, while North America includes Canada and the US. Oceania is represented by Australia and New Zealand.
Countries such as China (17th), Vietnam (45th), Ukraine (43rd), and Kenya (73rd), regarded as middle to low-income economies, have outperformed predictions in digital readiness. Specifically, their achievements in digital preparedness are substantially higher than earlier expectations based on their GDP per capita. Each country has exceeded the standard trend by at least 10%, indicating remarkable progress in the use of technology despite economic limitations.
The report reveals that the lower middle-income group has the highest number of countries that have performed exceptionally well in digital readiness, exhibiting leading roles in the progressing digital landscape.
The NRI 2024 report classifies economies into four income groups: 52 high-income countries, 36 upper-middle-income countries, 32 lower-middle-income countries, and 13 low-income economies.
Unsurprisingly, the top performers are primarily high-income nations, exhibiting powerful network readiness in all areas. Aside from exceptions, such as the US, Singapore, and the Republic of Korea, the top performers are generally nations within Western Europe or Scandinavia.
There are new entries on the NRI 2024 rankings, including the Seychelles. Sierra Leone, Trinidad and Tobago, and Yemen. Those that have dropped off the list are Gambia, Eswatini, Lebanon, Guinea, and Tajikistan.
Since 2002, the NRI has had a forward-thinking focus on both emerging technologies and their potential to contribute to global goals, such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
