Analytics, EU – Baltic States, Internet, Rating, Technology

The top three were Singapore, Finland and Sweden. Latvia was 33rd and Lithuania 31st.

Thanks to the strong performance of Estonia (22nd) and the steady rise of Latvia (33rd, up six), which is catching up to Lithuania (31st), the Baltic countries are slowly but surely bridging the gap with the Nordics – a remarkable achievement for the three former Soviet Republics. These countries are breaking away from what was once a fairly homogenous group of Eastern European countries that have joined the European Union (EU) since 2004: Slovenia (37th, down one), the Czech Republic (43rd, down one), Hungary (53rd, down six), Croatia (54th, down eight), and the Slovak Republic (59th, no change) are either stable or losing ground.

Meanwhile Poland has jumped four places to enter the top 50, and Romania—once the worst performer in the European Union – has leapfrogged 12 positions to reach 63rd place, ahead of Bulgaria (73rd)

The Information Technology Development Index calculation is based on 53 indicators. Estonia's position has strengthened as compared with the previous index in the business and innovation environment, ICT infrastructure and skills, and the private and public sector information technology usage spheres.

Estonia's position has deteriorated in the availability of ICT and economic and social effects spheres.

The 2015 results, which covers 143 economies, confirms the dominance of advanced economies and the persistence of the multiple-faceted digital divides not only across but also within economies. They reveal the pervasive digital poverty that deprives the neediest from the opportunities offered by ICTs.