The median Internet speeds in the Philippines has vastly improved over the years, but when internet access and affordability are concerned millions of Filipinos still remain living in “internet poverty.”
Launched by World Data Lab with support from the Internet Society Foundation, the Internet Poverty Index measures how many of its citizens a country has to live without access to or the ability to get the cheapest mobile Internet package.
According to the index, the Philippines has 58 million Filipinos who are considered internet poor out of its current population of 112 million. Of the 58 million, 29.2 million are males and 28.8 are females.
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The index arrived at this number by assessing users on three factors: affordability, quantity, and quality. A hedonic pricing model is used with these factors to get an estimate of internet poverty. Read the Internet Poverty Index methodology for a thorough explanation.
With more than half of the population deprived of what is supposed to be a basic human right (according to the Commission on Human Rights) along with food, housing, and clothing, the country ranks seventh out of 169 countries on the index. Nigeria comes in first with its 103 million internet poor citizens, followed by India and China at 100 million and 93 million, respectively.
Percentage-wise, the Philippines ranks 35th worldwide. Burundi is first for having 96.4 percent of its population living in internet poverty. Singapore, Kuwait, Spain, and 64 other countries are well-off for having only three percent or less of its population who are internet poor.