Introducing the Network Readiness Index 2021

December 2, 2021


About the NRI

Over the last two decades, the NRI has established itself as one of the world’s most comprehensive assessments of digital readiness, ranking a total of 130 economies based on their performance across 60 variables. 

The 2021 NRI is the third edition of a renewed NRI model, which addresses current topical concerns of trust, governance, inclusivity and impact on SDG goals. The NRI has provided, and continues to provide, a methodological framework that identifies the factors enabling national economies to fully benefit from information and communication technology (ICT) advances. Because of this, many countries use the NRI to design their digital strategies, connecting Technology with People and Governance for Impact.

As countries around the world begin to develop, or continue to improve upon, their digital strategies, it is important for policymakers to first understand the strengths and weaknesses of their respective economies in order to construct a prosperous roadmap for the future.

What can you expect from this year’s NRI?

The past two years have raised several thought-provoking questions about pandemic recovery within the context of digital transformation. This year’s theme, Shaping the Global Recovery: How digital technologies can make the post-COVID world more equal, offers a review of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the pace and depth of digital transformation. Although it is early to predict the full impact of this digital acceleration, the report provides a first glance at its impact on governments, businesses, and individuals, and how it has impacted global recovery from the crisis.

A word from the Co-editors

The COVID pandemic has indeed been a global tipping point in the adoption of technology, arriving at a crucial time when many digital technologies had reached a degree of maturity at which they could be deployed on a large scale rapidly. Although it is early to predict, this report provides an initial glance at the impact of an accelerated digital transformation on governments, businesses, and individuals.

Soumitra Dutta, Co-founder and President of Portulans Institute, Co-author of the NRI

The pandemic has shifted digital transformation from a priority to a global imperative. It is hence important to consider how technology, in combination with immediate and coordinated efforts in key areas of infrastructure, education, and governance, can help us avoid a ‘K-shaped recovery’.

Bruno Lanvin, Co-founder and Director of Portulans Institute, Co-author of the NRI

Global Lunch

The global launch of the 2021 Netword Readiness Index took place on December 2, 2021. The event brought together high-level representatives from the private sectors and international organizations to discuss key findings and takeaways from the 2021 report. Watch the recording here.

Follow the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn at #NRI2021. You can also subscribe to our Newsletter, where we share publications and events. Find the NRI’s 2021 edition here.