Digital Development in Low and Middle-Income Countries
Digital technologies offer significant opportunities for development in Low and Middle-Income Countries, but also present challenges:
- Internet usage has grown rapidly, with a 44.1% increase in low-income countries since 2020.
- However, 2.6 billion people globally remain offline, with most in LMICs.
- The digital divide between high-income and low-income countries remains substantial.
Key areas of digital development in LMICs include:
- Digital agriculture services, which can improve productivity and market access for smallholder farmers
- Digital financial services, expanding access to banking and credit for underserved populations
- E-government initiatives, aiming to improve service delivery and governance
Challenges and research priorities in digital development include addressing infrastructure gaps, particularly in rural areas, improving digital skills and literacy among populations in LMICs, and ensuring that digital development is inclusive and doesn't exacerbate existing inequalities.
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