NEW YORK – Pakistan has jumped 14 places, registering significant improvement in the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI) for 2024.
The South Asian country has secured 136th place to enter the higher EGDI group for the first time in the index as it stood at 150th position in the 2022 survey.
This thirteenth edition of the United Nations E-Government Survey, released in 2024, provides a comprehensive assessment of the digital government landscape across all 193 Member States. The 2024 Survey highlights a significant upward trend in the development of digital government worldwide, with increased investment in resilient infrastructure and cutting-edge technologies. The global average value of the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) shows substantial improvement, with the proportion of the population lagging in digital government development decreasing from 45.0 per cent in 2022 to 22.4 per cent in 2024.
The EGDI value for Pakistan increases to 0.5095, up from 0.42380 in 2022 and 0.41830 in 2018. In Asian region, Pakistan ranked second as India leads the index with 0.6678. Afghanistan stands at 0.2083, Bangladesh at 0.6570, Bhutan at 0.6511, Maldives at 0.6745, Nepal and Sri Lanka are at 0.5781 and 0.6667, respectively.
Globally, Denmark stands at the top of the table with 0.9847. The other countries including US, UK, China and Australia have secured the 19th, 7th, 35th and 8th ranks, respectively.
“Twenty-three countries have moved to a higher EGDI group. Ten countries in Asia (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Kuwait, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar, Uzbekistan, and Viet Nam), three countries in the Americas (Colombia, Ecuador, and Mexico), two countries in Africa (Mauritius and South Africa), and two countries in Europe (Albania and the Republic of Moldova) have moved from the high to the very high EGDI group (see figure 2.5). Three countries in Africa (Eswatini, Libya, and Senegal), two in Asia (Myanmar and Pakistan), and one in Oceania (Vanuatu) have moved from the middle to the high EGDI group,” read the official report.
These countries have made significant progress in their digital transformation journeys, focusing on enhancing their telecommunications infrastructure, improving online services, and investing in human capital development. They have implemented various strategies and initiatives to boost their digital capabilities, such as expanding broadband access, developing e-government platforms, and promoting digital literacy among their populations. These efforts have been instrumental in their advancement and upward movement in the EGDI rankings.
