Digital democracy|Digital divide
Top countries in digital quality of life in the past 3 years
Surfshark has been releasing the annual Digital Quality of Life Index since 2019. With the 2023 Index just around the corner, we’ve decided to take a look at the countries that have been at the top of the rankings for the past three years.
Key insights
- Because of its consistently high digital wellbeing, Denmark stayed in the top three country list for three years in a row. The country stood proudly in first place in both 2020 and 2021.
- In 2022, Denmark was pushed to second place by Israel due to its exceptional internet affordability. But at the same time, Denmark had the best e-infrastructure in the world.
- Germany ranked 3rd in 2022 - this was the country’s first time at the top of the DQL country list — thanks to Germany’s good internet affordability and electronic security.
- Which countries will be at the top of the list this year? Will Denmark remain at the top for the fourth year in a row? And will South Korea, Finland, or other previously high-ranking countries make a comeback? Stay tuned for the upcoming DQL Index 2023 to find out.
Methodology and sources
The Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index reveals insights into what factors impact a country’s digital wellbeing and which areas should be prioritized for future improvement. The 2022 edition of the annual Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index was the fourth iteration of DQL studies conducted in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Since the results for 2020, 2021, and 2022 are comparable, we were able to accurately track each country's digital progress over the last three years. Revised from 86 in 2020, the DQL 2022 Index analyzed 117 countries worldwide based on internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security, and e-government. These pillars consist of 14 indicators that help measure overall digital quality of life.
