Several countries in Asia have slipped in e-government readiness rankings, according to a new study released by the United Nations (U.N.).
India fell 26 notches in the U.N. 2008 E-Government Readiness Index to 113th, compared to No. 87 in 2005, while the Philippines registered a rank of 66 in 2008, down from 41 in 2005.
Singapore and Thailand each fell 16 spots from their 2005 ranking, occupying No. 23 and No. 62, respectively, in the latest index.
With an index score of 0.447, the Asian region fared slightly below the world average of 0.4514 in the e-government readiness index. Europe proved the best-performing region, boasting a score of 0.649, while the Americas scored 0.4936.
But, it was not all gloom and doom for Asia. Japan, ranked No. 11, improved on its 2005 ranking by three spots. Vietnam, ranked No. 91, and Cambodia at 115 provided more cheer for the region by ascending 14 spots and 13 spots, respectively. Malaysia also climbed nine positions to claim the 34th position on the index.
Ranked in 6th position, Korea is the only Asian country in the top 10 list. It also fared well in the area of e-participation, described as the involvement of citizens in government programs and services, where Korea was ranked second worldwide, after the United States.
Vietnam also performed well in the e-participation index, leaping to 16th position, from No. 63 in 2005. China also scored positively in the ranking, jumping to No. 20 last year, from No. 50 in 2005.
The 2008 UN Global E-Government Readiness Survey is the fourth edition of the index, and assesses 192 U.N. member states on their application of information and communication technologies to serve and interact with citizens.
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