Chart of the Week: The Digital Divide in Asia

IMF Blog, September 25, 2018

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The countries of Southeast Asia are young and economically significant: more than half of its 643 million people are under 30, and together they live in an economy of $2.8 trillion.
Despite demographic advantages and growing regional integration through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a digital divide persists across the region.
As a regional bloc, ASEAN is the fifth largest economy in the world.

More than 70 percent of people in Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao P.D.R., and Myanmar remain offline and can’t fully participate in the digital economy.
Caption-specific statistic: about 70 percent of the country does not have internet access (Cambodia).
The Internet has reached most people in Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, and Singapore.
High-speed broadband is even more scarce across the region.
ASEAN trails China, Japan, and Korea in high-speed broadband access; Singapore is the sole exception.

Hundreds of millions of young people in the region are eager to join the digital revolution.
With hundreds of millions of young people eager to join the digital revolution, there’s no better time to close the digital divide.

Internet connectivity must be universal and affordable
The business climate must encourage competition, which spurs innovation
Education systems must adapt workers’ skills to new demands for a digital future
Countries need stronger safety nets to protect those displaced by automation
Southeast nations should improve financial inclusion through technology and adapt their regulatory frameworks to manage the risks associated with fintech

Source: Chart of the Week: The Digital Divide in Asia (The Editors, September 25, 2018).