Bangladesh has slipped six positions in Surfshark’s 5th annual Digital Quality of Life (DQL) Index, now ranking 82nd out of 121 countries. This index evaluates digital wellbeing worldwide based on five core pillars, utilizing data from the United Nations, World Bank, and other sources.
Among the five pillars, Bangladesh’s strongest performance was in internet quality, securing 65th place. However, its internet quality remains 5 percent below the global average. Fixed internet speeds in Bangladesh average 53 Mbps, far behind Singapore—the top-ranked country—which boasts speeds of 300 Mbps. Yemen holds the slowest fixed internet speed globally at 11 Mbps. Mobile internet speeds in Bangladesh average 20 Mbps, compared to the UAE’s fastest 310 Mbps, while Venezuela has the slowest at 10 Mbps.
When compared to neighboring India, Bangladesh’s mobile internet speed is 73 percent slower, and its fixed broadband is 31 percent slower. Despite these gaps, Bangladesh has made notable progress with mobile internet speed increasing by 41 percent and fixed broadband speed growing by 23 percent over the past year.
In the e-government category, which measures the advancement of digital public services and AI readiness, Bangladesh ranked 73rd, falling below the global average. Internet affordability placed Bangladesh 77th globally. Residents need to work 4 hours and 26 minutes per month to afford fixed broadband—a figure that, while below the global average, is 15 times higher than Romania, which has the world’s most affordable fixed internet at just 18 minutes of work. For mobile internet, Bangladeshis work 1 hour and 35 minutes monthly, six times more than Luxembourg, the leader in mobile internet affordability.
Bangladesh also scored 84th in e-infrastructure, which assesses internet penetration and network readiness. The country’s internet penetration stands at a moderate 77 percent, ranking 77th worldwide, with network readiness at 87th.
Overall, Bangladesh ranks behind India at 52nd but remains ahead of Pakistan, which is placed 93rd globally. In Asia, Bangladesh holds the 25th position, with Singapore leading the region.
In e-security, which evaluates a country’s preparedness against cybercrime and strength of data protection laws, Bangladesh dropped 10 places to 85th globally. In South Asia, Bangladesh trails India (66th) but ranks higher than Pakistan (101st) in this pillar.
