File photo of skyline used for representation
Doha, Qatar: Qatar has reaffirmed its position among the world’s leading digital economies after achieving an outstanding score of 98.4 out of 100 in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) ICT Development Index (IDI) 2026, released on June 30, 2026.
The report placed the country among the highest-performing nations globally in digital connectivity and information and communication technology (ICT) development.
Unlike previous editions, the ITU no longer publishes a numerical league table of countries. Since adopting a revised methodology in 2023, the United Nations specialised agency reports only country scores, arguing that digital development should be measured by progress towards universal and meaningful connectivity rather than by competitive rankings.
Qatar’s overall score of 98.4 represents one of the highest in the world and reflects the country’s sustained investments in advanced telecommunications infrastructure, high Internet penetration, affordable connectivity and nationwide digital transformation programmes.
The report also shows Qatar achieved the maximum possible score of 100 in the Universal Connectivity pillar, highlighting the country’s extensive mobile network coverage, widespread Internet access and high availability of digital infrastructure. It also recorded an impressive 96.7 in the Meaningful Connectivity pillar, which assesses the quality, affordability and effective use of digital services.
Among Arab countries, only Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates recorded marginally higher overall scores, while Qatar remained comfortably within the region’s top performers alongside Kuwait and Bahrain.
The ITU said the 2026 edition covers 159 economies and is the fourth assessment using the methodology introduced in 2023. The index evaluates countries using 10 internationally comparable indicators grouped under two pillars, universal connectivity and meaningful connectivity, measuring factors such as Internet use, household connectivity, mobile broadband subscriptions, network coverage, data usage, mobile phone ownership and broadband affordability.
According to the report, the global average IDI score reached 79, with 59 economies scoring between 90 and 100, reflecting continued worldwide progress in digital development. However, the ITU noted that significant disparities remain between high-income and low-income economies despite improvements in connectivity across all regions.
The report highlighted that high-income economies continue to dominate the upper end of the index, with an average score of 93, compared with 83 for upper-middle-income countries, 69 for lower-middle-income economies and 42 for low-income nations. It also observed a strong correlation between digital development and economic prosperity, although gains become more incremental as countries approach universal connectivity.
ITU explained that the revised methodology deliberately avoids producing a traditional ranking, emphasising that digital transformation is not a competition but a collective global objective. The organisation noted that even if every country achieved near-universal connectivity, a ranking would still place one country first and another last, potentially creating misleading perceptions about their actual levels of digital development.
The report cautioned that while the IDI provides a robust measure of connectivity, it does not yet capture several important aspects of digital development, including fixed broadband penetration, Internet speeds, digital skills and online safety, mainly because internationally comparable data remain limited. These areas are expected to receive greater attention as the ITU reviews the methodology ahead of the next assessment cycle beginning in 2027.
Qatar’s strong performance aligns with its long-term digital transformation agenda under the Qatar National Vision 2030, which seeks to build a diversified, knowledge-based economy powered by advanced technologies. The country’s continued investment in smart infrastructure, high-speed broadband networks, digital government services, artificial intelligence and innovation has helped position it among the world’s most digitally connected societies.
The ITU concluded that although global connectivity continues to improve, sustained investment in digital infrastructure, affordable access, statistical capacity and digital inclusion will remain essential to ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital transformation.
