By 2026, Iraq will be among the most digitally connected economies in the world.
By 2026, Iraq will be among the most digitally connected economies in the world.
2026-10-12
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq ranked 99th globally in the 2026 ICT Development Index, scoring 79.4 points, according to data published by Visual Capitalist, a website specializing in economic data and designs.
The ranking is based on the International Telecommunication Union’s index, which measures the level of digital connectivity in 159 economies around the world, relying on indicators that include internet access and use, network coverage, data consumption, and affordability of telecommunications services.
According to the data, Iraq came in a tie with Colombia, ahead of the Dominican Republic which scored 79.3 points, while Egypt came in at 79.6 points, Tunisia at 80.1 points, while Indonesia scored 84.7 points and Brazil 84.6 points.
At the global level, Saudi Arabia topped the index with 99.8, followed by the UAE with 98.8, while the Gulf countries dominated five of the top ten positions, namely Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain.
In Europe, Estonia topped the list of European economies outside the Gulf countries with a score of 98.5 points, followed by Finland with 98.4 points, while the United States came in ninth place globally with a score of 97.9 points.
The report concluded that the global index averaged 79 points, with 59 economies scoring between 90 and 100 points, compared to 15 economies with scores below 50 points.
The data also showed a broad improvement in digital connectivity levels, with 146 out of 151 economies included in the 2023 and 2026 versions of the index recording higher scores.
shafaq.com
