For the second year running, Finland has topped the World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index (NRI), which measures the capacity of countries to leverage ICT for growth and well-being.
The NRI is published in the WEF’s Global Information Technology Report 2014 and covers 148 economies ranked on 54 criteria.
The report said government, businesses and individuals had all contributed to Finland’s positive digital landscape.
— Finland ranks first in the readiness subindex thanks to an outstanding digital ICT infrastructure – the best in the world.
— It is second in both the usage and impact subindexes, with more than 90 percent of its population using the Internet and with high levels of technological and non-technological innovation.
— The country also comes in third in the environment subindex, with a very robust innovation system.
The NRI uses data collected from international organizations such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Bank, and the United Nations as well as a survey of more than 15,000 business leaders.
It looks at factors as varied as the quality of the educational system and the accessibility of digital content as well as the business and innovation environment and the political and regulatory framework.
Singapore was second overall, followed by Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Switzerland.
Article originally published in Good News from Finland.