Pakistan jumps 27 places in ITU’s ICT Development Index 2026
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
ICT score rises 20% to 67.7 as connectivity pillar improves by 22.8 points; minister links progress to digital inclusion, jobs, and public services
Pakistan has improved its position in the International Telecommunication Union’s ICT Development Index 2026, moving up 27 places as its score rose from 56.4 in 2025 to 67.7 in 2026, reflecting a 20% relative improvement.
According to an official statement, Pakistan also recorded a 22.8-point improvement in the connectivity pillar and achieved a Meaningful Connectivity score of 79.
The ICT Development Index is measured under a revised methodology introduced in 2023. The framework focuses on meaningful connectivity and is based on two main areas
The first is Universal Connectivity, which assesses the availability of digital networks and infrastructure. The second is Meaningful Connectivity, which measures the reliability, affordability and inclusiveness of digital access, including device ownership and data traffic.
Federal Minister for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja said that better ICT indicators are linked with education, employment, freelancing, entrepreneurship, business activity and digital public services, particularly for young people and the digital workforce.
The minister said the government remains committed to expanding reliable and affordable connectivity, improving service quality, promoting digital inclusion and facilitating investment in the IT and telecom sectors.
She added that Pakistan’s progress in the index is significant for the country’s digital ecosystem, investors, technology companies and development partners.
The improvement, she said, comes as Pakistan continues to strengthen its digital foundations and move towards a more inclusive digital economy.
The government said Pakistan’s performance in the ITU ICT Development Index 2026 marks progress towards wider digital access, improved national readiness and technology-led economic growth.
Reference Link:- https://profit.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/07/04/pakistan-jumps-27-places-in-itus-ict-development-index-2026
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
