Iceland is among the top five nations in the world when it comes to digital public services and infrastructure.
According to the United Nations’ eGovernment Development Index, Iceland is ranked fifth out of 193 countries — up from 12th in 2020.
Denmark topped the rankings, followed by Finland, the Republic of Korea, New Zealand, and then Iceland.
The remaining top 10 nations were Sweden (sixth place), Australia (7), Estonia (8), The Netherlands (9), and the United States (10).
In a statement, the Icelandic Government said the UN based its assessment on three main areas and indexes, digital services; ingenuity; and technical infrastructure.
“Iceland ranked particularly high in both ingenuity and technical infrastructure,” the statement said.
“The Government has made digitising services a particular priority, with the goal of making all applicable applications, payments and receipts for services accessible online.”
It said Government had set itself the goal of Iceland becoming a leader in digital public services, and surveys showed that good progress was being made.
“Digital services are already simplifying people’s lives — saving time while improving service,” the statement said.
The announcement also pointed to the European Commission’s eGovernment Benchmark 2022, in which Iceland ranked fourth amongst the 27 EU member States.
“The Benchmark compares how Governments across Europe deliver digital public services by asking citizens from the participating countries to visit and evaluate local websites,” the Government said.
“Iceland rose three places in this assessment since 2021.”
Reykjavik, 19 October 2022
