A new survey has revealed that Estonia tops the ranks when it comes to serving the digital needs of its expat population.
The recently released Digital Life Abroad Report, carried out by Internations, found that Estonia is rated best in the world for both unrestricted access to online services (for example, social media) and the availability of administrative or government services online.
In fact, 96 per cent of expats judge the access to online services favourably (vs 80 per cent globally), with 86 per cent saying it could not be any better (vs 58 per cent globally). Another 94 per cent are impressed with the availability of administrative or government services online (vs 55 per cent globally), with 70 per cent giving it the best possible rating (vs 23 per cent globally).
The survey, which is based on responses from 18,135 expats in 68 countries worldwide, also ranked Finland, Norway, Denmark, and New Zealand in the top five.
At the other end of the scale, Myanmar, China, Egypt, India, and the Philippines are rated the worst countries for digital life. Expats in these countries struggle with a lack of government services online, difficult access to high-speed internet at home, or even restrictions in their use of online services.
Perhaps surprisingly, the survey found that Germany is one of the worst countries in Europe when it comes to digital life abroad. It ranked among the bottom 10 countries worldwide in two categories: getting a local mobile phone number (61st) and paying without cash (59th). Germany is still a largely cash-based society; a factor that many expats can struggle to come to terms with.
Article published 29th May 2019