As an economist, I tend to get very excited whenever I come across new data sources. Think datasets. Think reports. Think indices. I mean, I work at a data-driven intelligence company, so it makes sense.
Data matters.
Key takeaways:
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The Internet Poverty Index by the World Data Lab offers an additional metric to consider when measuring the economic progress of countries across the world.
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Globally, there are 1.4 billion people who are internet poor, and 709 million of those people live in Africa. Efforts to reduce internet poverty should initially focus on people who live in poor countries with expensive internet.
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Improving internet access will require tackling data cost and quality issues. This makes investment in digital infrastructure critical, because the more advanced the quality of infrastructure, the higher the quality, and eventually, the higher the cost.
When it’s timely, credible, and relevant, data offers a new way of measuring
