Digitization is an open construction site in Germany

Published on: August 14, 2020 / Updated on: August 14, 2020 – Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

Germany ranks only 16th in the 2020 Digital Quality of Life Index , demonstrating once again that digitalization in the country is still in its infancy. In the ranking compiled by Surfshark, Germany performs at best only moderately well in the categories of "Digital Infrastructure" (23), "Internet Affordability" (24), and "Internet Quality" (32). As the graphic illustrates, Germany clearly has a lot of catching up to do compared to other European nations.

Even some Eastern European countries like Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic achieve better results in terms of internet connection quality and speed, despite their lower economic output. Germany's digital administration stands out positively; many online government services are simple, accessible, and transparent – ​​here, the Federal Republic ranks seventh.

The Surfshark Digital Quality of Life Index measures the quality of digital life in 85 different countries worldwide, taking into account factors such as internet quality and affordability, as well as digital infrastructure, security, and governance. These factors are then compared to economic indicators such as GDP, average salary, and prices for mobile and broadband internet. The calculated value ranges from 0 to 1 – the fact that no country achieves a value above 0.8 illustrates that even highly developed nations still have room for improvement.

Germany is only ranked 16th in the Digital Quality of Life Index 2020 , showing once again that digitization in Germany is still in its infancy. In the ranking compiled by Surfshark, Germany scores at best mediocre results, especially in the categories “Digital Infrastructure” (23), “Internet Affordability” (24) and “Internet Quality” (32). Compared to other European nations, Germany has a lot of catching up to do in this respect, as the chart shows.

Even some Eastern European countries such as Poland, Romania and the Czech Republic are recording stronger results in terms of connection quality and Internet speed, despite their inferior economic performance. The digital administration in Germany stands out positively, many online services of the authorities function simply, barrier-free and transparent – ​​here the Federal Republic occupies seventh place.

The Surfshark Digital Quality of Life Index measures the quality of digital life in 85 different countries worldwide, taking into account factors such as Internet quality and affordability as well as digital infrastructure, security and administration. The factors are put in relation to economic indicators such as GDP, average salary and prices for mobile and broadband Internet. The calculated value is between 0 and 1 – the fact that no country can have a value above 0.8 shows that there is still room for improvement even in the more developed countries.

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