*** ----> A net-savvy populace | THE DAILY TRIBUNE | KINGDOM OF BAHRAIN

A net-savvy populace

Close to 98 per cent of the population in the Kingdom use the Internet, according to a report published by the United Nations organisation.

Almost everyone in the Kingdom has Internet access, says the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s (UNCTAD) Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-commerce Index 2018. Bahrain is one of the highest ranked countries in the index in terms of Internet access. Along with Bahrain, Iceland and Norway are the two other countries with the highest Internet access. However, Bahrain is ranked 62 in the index overall.

In the Mena region, the Kingdom was ranked five in the index. “Iceland, ranked sixth, has near ubiquitous Internet access with 98pc of the population online, the highest in the world along with Bahrain and Norway,” the report stated. The index also revealed the top countries for online shopping. The Netherlands came on top of the report as the best country in the world for online commerce. Europe has eight of the top ten countries in the index.

Among the developing economies in MENA region, Bahrain has only made it to the top ten list. Only one of the top ten developing countries in the B2C E-commerce Index 2018 are from East Asia or the Middle East. Unlike the global top ten, the range of index values between developing countries is wide with a 26-point difference between first and tenth. Compared to the 2017 index, Singapore has swapped ranks with the Republic of Korea as the top-ranked country in the list.