Onome Amuge
The drive to digitise public services and everyday economic activity is often framed as a race to catch up with the world’s most technologically advanced economies. However, a new global ranking of tech-driven nations indicates that the more instructive lesson for policymakers and businesses lies not in headline scores, but in how digital infrastructure reshapes daily life, commerce and citizen engagement.
A November 2025 report by Relum, a technology research firm, places the United States at the top of the global digitalisation league table, followed closely by the Netherlands, China, Australia and Singapore. Together, the results offer a window into how different development paths can still converge on highly functional digital economies, and what emerging markets such as Nigeria and its African peers might prioritise as they scale their own systems.
At first glance, the US dominance is unsurprising. The world’s largest economy handles about $4.46 trillion in cashless payments annually, equivalent to about $13,000 per person, more than any other country in the ranking. Businesses are deeply integrated into online platforms, earning the US a business digitalisation score of 87 out of 100. E-governance, while less centralised than in smaller states, still scores a robust 92, reflecting the widespread availability of digital tax filing, licensing and public services.
However, only 53 per cent of Americans reported being satisfied with their country’s digital services, a figure notably lower than that of several European peers.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands, ranked second overall, showcasing how a smaller economy can leverage coherence and user-centric design to deliver outsized digital outcomes. With annual cashless payments averaging about $7,100 per person and a government digital services score of 95, the country has prioritised simplicity and accessibility. 62 per cent of Dutch residents report satisfaction with their digital services, the highest among the top-ranked nations.
China’s third-place ranking points to its scale-driven digital integration anchored in platform ecosystems. While its per capita digital payments roughly match those of the Netherlands, China’s population size pushes total cashless transactions to an estimated $10 trillion annually, dwarfing all others. E-governance scores at 87, and digital citizen participation reaches 93 out of 100, reflecting widespread use of government-linked platforms for services ranging from healthcare to social security.
Australia and Singapore, ranked fourth and fifth respectively, illustrate the benefits of deliberate state-led digital strategy. Australia scores an impressive 96 out of 100 for online public services, making it one of the easiest countries in which to handle tax filings, permits and regulatory compliance digitally. Cashless payments average nearly $6,700 per person annually, while business digitalisation remains strong.
Singapore, meanwhile, stands out for the quality of its government digital platforms. With an e-government development score of 97 and digital participation of 96, the city-state has built a near-universal online interface between citizens and the state. Almost any official task can be completed digitally, reducing administrative costs and boosting productivity. However, even here, satisfaction sits at 50 per cent, again underscoring that advanced systems raise user expectations.
Beyond the top five, the ranking reveals important regional patterns. Northern Europe features prominently, with Norway, Sweden and Denmark all in the top ten. These countries combine high digital payments, strong e-governance and relatively high levels of digital literacy. Denmark, for example, scores 98 in e-government development and 99 in digital participation, indicating near-universal engagement with online public platforms, even though satisfaction levels are comparatively lower at 44 per cent.
India’s presence in sixth place is particularly notable for emerging markets. With far lower per capita digital payments (about $1,200 annually) and a business digitalisation score of 46, India nonetheless ranks highly due to its rapid expansion of digital public infrastructure. Its e-governance score of 67 and citizen satisfaction of 60 reflect the impact of platforms such as Aadhaar and the Unified Payments Interface, which have brought millions into the formal digital economy at relatively low cost.
Razvan-Lucian Haiduc, Relum’s chief product officer, argues that the global digital landscape is becoming more diverse. “Digital adoption isn’t only a Western thing anymore,” he said, noting that Asia has rapidly closed the gap, while northern Europe continues to lead in overall digital maturity. High spending on digital entertainment and services in countries such as the Netherlands and Denmark, he added, reflects how deeply embedded technology has become in everyday life.
