The third annual edition of the Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) ranks Romania 34th 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. Romania ranks within TOP 30 internet affordability (ranks 27th), e-security (22nd), and internet quality (18th) but displays comparatively lower results in e-infrastructure (ranks 54th) and e-government (56th).
Compared to last year, Romania has climbed five places, rising from 39th to 34th in the DQL index. The country made it to the TOP 30 in three of five DQL pillars – internet affordability (ranks 27th), e-security (22nd), and internet quality (18th). In some specific areas, Romania showed one of the best results globally. For instance, Romania’s broadband speed is the 3rd fastest worldwide (187.97 Mbps), surpassed only by Thailand and Singapore.
Compared to Moldova, Romania ranks lower only in internet affordability. However, Moldova’s internet affordability has improved by 125% compared to last year and now ranks 27th worldwide. People in Romania have to work 1 hour 36 minutes to afford the cheapest broadband internet package, 9 minutes less than in 2020. To purchase 1 GB of the cheapest mobile internet connection, people have to spend 1 minute 37 seconds, 9 minutes 37 seconds less than in 2020.
Romania’s e-infrastructure and e-government are similar to the global average – the country ranks 54th and 56th, respectively. However, the country lacks better online services, which barely make it to the TOP 60. Compared to neighboring Croatia, Romania also has room for improvement in e-security – while both countries have a similar GDP per capita, Croatia ranks 10th in the pillar, and Romania only makes it to the TOP 30.
“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.
The final 2021 Digital Quality of Life report and an interactive country comparison tool can be found here: https://www.surfshark.com/dql2021.
