Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Hungary 32nd in World on 2021 Digital Quality of Life Index

Hungary 32nd in World on 2021 Digital Quality of Life Index

Hungary has ranked above the average and close to the top on the Digital Quality of Life (DQL) index compared to 109 countries internationally, but there are still areas of improvement for the country to enhance its digital well-being for both residents and businesses.

Hungary ranks 32nd in the world on the 2021 DQL research carried out by global cybersecurity company Sharksurf. Hungary came 22nd when compared to 38 countries in Europe. The DQL 2021 study covers 90% of the worldwide population and indexes 110 countries by looking at five fundamental pillars of digital life: internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security, and e-government.

Internationally, the best criteria rankings of Hungary include its broadband speed (8th), broadband internet stability (13th), and mobile internet stability (25th). The country’s worst criteria rankings are mobile speed growth (75th), online services index (52nd), and broadband speed growth (41st).

Hungary showed a stellar performance in many aspects. Internet quality and e-security place it among the top 30 internationally, ranking 29th and 28th respectively. Both pillars are 20% stronger than the global average.

That said, Hungary has fallen seven places back on the index overall from 2020, although the country still comes above the global average. The greatest room for improvement comes in internet affordability, which is the main culprit behind the drop.

“Compared to last year, Hungary’s internet affordability index fell by 55%. Hungarians have to spend almost two hours per month to afford the cheapest broadband internet package, one hour and 33 minutes more than in 2020,” Vytautas Kaziukonis, founder and CEO of Surfshark, tells the Budapest Business Journal.

Kaziukonis lists why internet affordability is an arena worth considering for improvement. Internet connection affordability has a direct impact on the accessibility of the internet. Less affordable internet, therefore, harms the overall digital well-being of a nation, which is a self-generating cycle, he says.

Room for Improvement


While Hungary does slightly better than the global average in all DQL pillars, placing it in the top 40 globally, there are definite areas that could be improved further.

“The country struggles with e-government most and ranks 45th worldwide. It might be helpful to improve this area because better e-government helps to minimize the bureaucracy, reduce corruption, and increase the transparency of the public sector. It also enhances the efficiency of public services and helps people save time, influencing the quality of their digital lives,” Kaziukonis says.

The country ranks fourth in Eastern Europe, lagging behind its Visegrád Four peers; Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia. Looking at the weighted Digital Quality of Life score, Poland is 25th, Czech Republic 28th, and Slovakia 29th, while Hungary comes 32nd.

Nevertheless, Hungary did manage to beats the V4 members in weighted internet quality, ranking 29th and ahead of Poland (36th), Slovakia (43rd), and the Czech Republic (53rd).

As mentioned above, where Hungary does score heavily, even in global comparison, is in broadband internet speed, which has improved by 51%, reaching 167.815 Mbps, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hungary’s mobile internet speed also became 25% better and now reaches 44.8 Mbps, according to Kaziukonis.

Effective Mobilization


“Data shows that Hungary managed to mobilize effectively in the face of COVID-19 and was fast to prepare for remote daily life,” the Surfshark CEO says.

The information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and possibilities are sufficient to nurture a healthy business environment in the country. Hungary ranks 39th out of 134 economies on the Network Readiness Index (NRI) 2020, which measures the performance of those states across 60 variables. This ranking, too, suggests a high likelihood for the country to exploit ICT opportunities.

“Those are very important for international business, which is deeply related to the ICT sector nowadays. Also, the Internet usage index is high at 0.89, which means that a reasonable amount of people in the country use the internet,” Kaziukonis tells the BBJ.

“Finally, the Online Services Index (0.75) is higher than the global average (0.71). The index assesses each country’s national website in the native language, including the national portal, e-services portal, and e-participation portal, as well as the websites of the related ministries of education, labor, social services, health, finance, and environment, as applicable. This aspect is vital for foreign investors when dealing with legal issues,” Kaziukonis adds.

About the Research


The 2021 DQL ranking examined a total population of more than 6.9 billion people in terms of five core pillars and 14 underpinning indicators that provide a comprehensive measure, according to Surfshark. The global cybersecurity company registered in the British Virgin Islands and operating with a globally distributed team based in Cyprus, Germany, Lithuania (where the company’s HQ is based), the Netherlands, the Philippines, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The study is based on open-source information provided by Freedom House, the International Communications Union, the United Nations, the World Bank, and other sources. “Digital opportunities have proved to be more important than ever during the COVID-19 crisis, stressing the importance for every country to ensure fully remote operational capacities for their economies,” Surfshark CEO Vytautas Kaziukonis says. “That is why, for the third year in a row, we continue the Digital Quality of Life research, which provides a robust global outlook into how countries excel digitally. The index sets the basis for meaningful discussions about how digital advancement impacts a country’s prosperity and where improvements can be made,” the CEO reckons.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD Vance Warns Europe Faces “Civilizational Suicide” Over Open Borders and Speech Limits
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
×