Kuwait ranks 1st globally in ‘Percentage of the population's mobile networks’ in Global Knowledge Index 2022
23 March 2023 - The Global Knowledge Index (GKI) 2022, launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), highlighted Kuwait's exceptional performance in various indicators, particularly in the information and communications technology (ICT) indicator.
The country ranked first in the 'percentage of the population covered by 3G or 4G mobile network coverage' and the 'volume of mobile broadband internet traffic per subscription'. In terms of internet quality, Kuwait ranked fifth in the world in data download speed on mobile phones and fifth in homes with internet access. According to the findings, Kuwait ranked fourth in the world in the percentage of internet users, ninth in technical and vocational education and training, and 28th in information and communications technology (ICT).
Furthermore, Kuwait achieved improved rankings in pre-university education, ranking first in the world in the proportion of students to trained primary teachers and the percentage of schools with access to computers in primary and secondary education. The country also ranked second in the proportion of pre-primary students to teachers. In terms of technical education and vocational training, Kuwait ranked ninth globally in continuous training and skill refinement, as well as first in the world in terms of the percentage of students enrolled in non-university post-secondary education in vocational and technical programs. Additionally, it ranked first in terms of equity and inclusion in this sector.
The index also emphasized Kuwait's exceptional performance in cognitive infrastructure, ranking 47th out of 132 nations and 44th out of 60 countries with extremely high human development. In terms of scientific research and development inputs, the country ranked fourth in the researcher's share of R&D expenditure. Furthermore, Kuwait ranked first globally in the number of publications produced per researcher.
In terms of economic indicators, Kuwait placed first in the transparency of companies and debt dynamism. As for finance and local added value, the country ranked first in the world in the added-value for industry and services as part of the GDP, and fourth in terms of tax ratio and contribution as a percentage of profit.
The index focuses on seven compound sub-indicators that cover the performance of six key knowledge sectors, which include pre-university education; technical education and vocational training; higher education; ICT; innovation, research & development (R&D); and the economy; along with the environment sub-indicator, which mainly focuses on the social, political, economic, health, and environmental contexts of these sectors.
The GKI offers a range of reliable data that supports nations and decision-makers in comprehending and responding to transformations and challenges, as well as highlighting the key knowledge barriers in realizing the 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs).
The UNDP released the GKI 2022 results on the sidelines of the Youth Knowledge Forum, which was held in cooperation with the MBRF. The index included 155 variables and 132 countries, including 11 Arab countries. The GKI 2022 results highlighted the precedence of the USA, followed by Switzerland, Sweden, Finland, and Holland.
