Surfshark's Digital Quality of Life index 2022. Image: Surfshark
While Ireland was in the top 30 overall in Surfshark’s Digital Quality of Life Index 2022, it ranked 35th and 36th for internet quality and affordability.
In a ranking of 117 countries based on digital quality of life, Ireland has come in at number 24. This is the same position the country held last year in the index, which is compiled annually by VPN service company Surfshark.
Surfshark studied the 117 countries according to five different pillars, before giving them an overall ranking for its Digital Quality of Life Index. Countries were ranked based on internet affordability, internet quality, e-infrastructure, e-security and e-government.
While Ireland was ranked 18th for e-infrastructure, the country lost points when it came to internet quality and affordability. For these pillars, it was ranked 35th and 36th.
Israel came top for internet affordability. To afford mobile internet, Surfshark said that Irish people have to work 23 times more than Israeli citizens, for whom the most affordable 1GB package costs only five seconds of work monthly. Meanwhile, fixed broadband costs Irish citizens around one hour and 43 minutes of their working time each month.
For internet quality, Ireland was found to be 17pc better than the global average.
Surfshark said that mobile internet speeds improved by 33.7pc on last year. However, Irish mobile internet speeds were found to be 29pc slower than in the UK.
Ireland’s fixed broadband speeds were found to be 17pc faster than the UK’s – even though the country only experienced a modest growth of 10pc on last year.
Overall, Israel took first place in the Surfshark Digital Quality of Life Index for the first time this year. Denmark, which was the highest ranked overall last year and the previous year, slid into second place.
Germany, France and Sweden came in third, fourth and fifth. Seven out of the 10 top ranking countries on the list were European. The bottom three countries were Ethiopia, Mozambique and Cameroon.
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