The third annual edition of the Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) ranks the UAE 42nd among 110 countries. 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. The UAE excels in three, specifically internet quality (ranks 2nd), e-government (13th), and e-infrastructure (20th), but displays comparatively low results in internet affordability (34th), and e-security (105th).
Compared to last year, the United Arab Emirates dropped 11 places down in DQL ranking. The country’s internet affordability index improved by 40%, but its electronic security index decreased by 49%. The UAE’s electronic security is around 70% worse than the global average – it ranks 105th out of 110 in the world.
On the positive side, the country is one of the world’s leaders in internet quality. The UAE ranks 2nd in this pillar and the country’s mobile internet speed is the best in the world. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, its mobile speed has improved by 143% and is now 145.46 Mbps.
The UAE shows mediocre results in internet affordability – it is only around 10% better than the global average. People in the United Arab Emirates have to work 3,5 minutes to afford the cheapest 1GB mobile data package. For comparison, people in neighbouring Oman have to work 4 times less (54 s/month).
“Digital opportunities have proved to be more important than ever during the COVID-19 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.
