Brown University’s seventh annual analysis of international e-government finds that many nations are improving services and providing information for users. The United States ranks fourth, behind South Korea, Singapore, and Taiwan.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Asian countries continue to dominate international e-government ratings, taking three of the top four spots in a global e-government study undertaken by researchers at Brown University. South Korea earned the top rank, followed by Singapore, Taiwan, the United States, Great Britain and Canada. The study shows that 28 percent of government agencies around the world are offering online services, about the same as in 2006.

The seventh annual survey conducted by Darrell M. West, director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy at Brown University, and a team of researchers evaluates online government Web sites of 198 countries around the globe. The researchers evaluated government Web sites based on two dozen criteria, including disability access, the existence of publications and databases, the presence of privacy policies, security policies, contact information, and the number of online services. Studies of global e-government have been released annually since 2001.

This year’s study reviews 1,687 government Web sites in 198 countries during June and July 2007. A variety of different sites were analyzed, including executive, legislative and judicial offices as well as departments and ministries of the government such as health, education, foreign affairs, interior, finance, natural resources, foreign investment, transportation, military, tourism and telecommunication.

Researchers found that 96 percent of Web sites have online publications and 80 percent have links to databases. Twenty-nine percent (up from 26 percent in 2006) show privacy policies and 21 percent present security policies (up from 14 percent in 2006). Software provided by the company Watchfire Inc. assesses whether Web sites provide assistance for the vision- or hearing-impaired. According to this software, government Web sites are still lagging on disability access. Only 23 percent of sites provide disability access, the same as last year.

In addition to analyzing particular features, researchers rated countries for overall e-government performance. By evaluating the two dozen criteria as well as other features, including PDA access, user fees, and foreign language translation, each country was rated on a 0 to 100 point scale. The following table gives the rankings of the 198 countries in 2007. Last year’s values are in parentheses.


Global e-Government: 198 Countries Ranked

Rankings from 1 to 50


   RANK    COUNTRY                RATING

1. (1) South Korea 74.9 (60.3)
2. (3) Singapore 54.0 (47.5)
3. (2) Taiwan 51.1 (49.8)
4. (4) United States 49.4 (47.4)
5. (6) Great Britain 44.3 (42.6)
6. (5) Canada 44.1 (43.5)
7. (48) Portugal 43.8 (31.3)
8. (12) Australia 43.5 (39.9)
8. (27) Turkey 43.5 (33.7)
10. (8) Germany 42.9 (41.5)
11. (7) Ireland 42.4 (41.9)
12. (16) Switzerland 42.3 (36.9)
13. (38) Brazil 41.1 (32.1)
14. (11) Dominica 41.0 (40.0)
15. (65) Bahrain 40.3 (29.6)
16. (40) Equator. Guinea 40.0 (32.0)
16. (32) Liechtenstein 40.0 (33.0)
18. (133) Andorra 39.0 (24.0)
19. (14) New Zealand 38.4 (37.6)
20. (35) Italy 38.0 (32.9)
21. (10) Spain 37.7 (40.6)
22. (20) Hong Kong 37.5 (35.4)
23. (19) Finland 37.3 (35.6)
24. (30) Vatican 37.0 (33.5)
25. (36) Malaysia 36.9 (32.7)
        RANK   COUNTRY                RATING

26. (15) Netherlands 36.8 (37.4)
27. (46) Czech Rep. 36.7 (31.7)
28. (106) Brunei 36.5 (26.8)
29. (84) Cyprus (Rep.) 36.4 (28.3)
30. (40) Liberia 36.0 (24.0)
30. (56) Austria 36.0 (30.6)
30. (17) Azerbaijan 36.0 (36.0)
30. (143) Sierra Leone 36.0 (24.0)
30. (39) Bhutan 36.0 (32.0)
30. (175) Costa Rica 36.0 (20.0)
30. (73) Eritrea 36.0 (29.0)
30. (166) Ethiopia 36.0 (22.0)
30. (137) Gabon 36.0 (24.0)
30. (17) North Korea 36.0 (36.0)
40. (9) Japan 35.9 (41.5)
41. (28) Malta 35.8 (33.6)
42. (23) France 35.6 (34.7)
42. (24) Qatar 35.6 (34.5)
44. (67) Israel 35.5 (29.4)
45. (88) Croatia 35.0 (28.0)
46. (51) Iceland 34.6 (31.1)
47. (77) India 34.2 (28.7)
48. (54) Peru 34.0 (30.8)
48. (150) Zambia 34.0 (23.5)
50. (68) Mexico 33.9 (29.3)

Rankings from 51 to 99


   RANK    COUNTRY              RATING

51. (76) Peoples Rep. Chi 33.7 (28.8)
52. (66) Arab Emirates 33.6 (29.5)
53. (119) Armenia 33.3 (25.3)
53. (58) Hungary 33.3 (30.5)
55. (112) Argentina 33.1 (26.1)
55. (104) Panama 33.1 (27.0)
57. (28) Kazakhstan 33.0 (33.6)
58. (80) Colombia 32.8 (28.6)
58. (50) Syria 32.8 (31.2)
60. (63) Poland 32.7 (30.1)
60. (13) Sweden 32.7 (38.3)
62. (21) Norway 32.4 (35.0)
62. (49) Serbia, Montgro 32.4 (31.2)
64. (44) Denmark 32.1 (31.8)
64. (110) Jamaica 32.1 (26.4)
64. (55) Luxembourg 32.1 (30.7)
67. (134) Bahamas 32.0 (24.0)
67. (162) Botswana 32.0 (22.0)
67. (89) Cyprus (Turk.) 32.0 (28.0)
67. (90) Ghana 32.0 (28.0)
67. (190) Grenada 32.0 (16.0)
67. (93) Guinea-Bissau 32.0 (28.0)
67. (139) Guyana 32.0 (24.0)
67. (31) Libya 32.0 (33.0)
67. (41) Monaco 32.0 (32.0)
      RANK    COUNTRY              RATING

67. (116) St. Vincent, Gren.32.0 (26.0)
67. (26) Swaziland 32.0 (34.0)
67. (97) Tajikistan 32.0 (28.0)
79. (81) Kuwait 31.9 (28.5)
80. (79) Lebanon 31.5 (28.7)
81. (61) Egypt 31.3 (30.2)
81. (45) Slovenia 31.3 (31.8)
83. (101) East Timor 31.2 (27.4)
84. (100) Kenya 31.2 (27.5)
85. (161) Belize 31.0 (22.0)
85. (113) Bulgaria 31.0 (26.0)
85. (155) Cambodia 31.0 (23.2)
85. (34) Chile 31.0 (32.9)
89. (85) Oman 30.9 (28.1)
89. (98) Saudi Arabia 30.9 (27.9)
89. (126) Vietnam 30.9 (25.0)
92. (82) Belgium 30.8 (28.4)
92. (92) Guatemala 30.8 (28.0)
92. (152) Trinidad, Tobago 30.8 (23.4)
95. (102) Iran 30.7 (27.3)
96. (59) Philippines 30.5 (30.4)
97. (145) St. Kitts, Nevis 30.3 (24.0)
98. (62) Romania 30.1 (30.2)
99. (163) Cape Verde 30.0 (22.0)
99. (164) Cook Islands 30.0 (22.0)

Rankings from 99 to 150


   RANK    COUNTRY                RATING

99. (188) Lesotho 30.0 (16.7)
99. (146) Suriname 30.0 (24.0)
103. (71) Bosnia, Herze. 29.8 (29.1)
103. (37) Slovakia 29.8 (32.3)
105. (148) Antigua, Barb. 29.7 (23.7)
106. (78) Jordan 29.6 (28.7)
106. (74) Maldives 29.6 (29.0)
106. (60) Nepal 29.6 (30.3)
109. (129) San Marino 29.3 (24.3)
110. (125) Congo (Rep.) 29.0 (25.0)
110. (57) Latvia 29.0 (30.6)
110. (53) Saint Lucia 29.0 (31.0)
110. (183) Vanuatu 29.0 (20.0)
114. (83) Lithuania 28.7 (28.3)
115. (22) Ukraine 28.4 (35.0)
115. (131) Uruguay 28.4 (24.2)
117. (52) Nigeria 28.3 (31.1)
118. (132) Albania 28.0 (24.0)
118. (107) Angola 28.0 (26.7)
123. (173) Barbados 28.0 (20.0)
118. (25) Estonia 28.0 (34.0)
118. (135) Congo (Dem. Rep.) 28.0 (24.0)
118. (138) Gambia 28.0 (24.0)
118. (94) Haiti 28.0 (28.0)
118. (130) Iraq 28.0 (27.0)
      RANK    COUNTRY              RATING 

118. (159) Kyrgyzstan 28.0 (22.4)
118. (169) Micronesia 28.0 (21.0)
118. (75) Mongolia 28.0 (29.0)
118. (142) Mozambique 28.0 (24.0)
118. (180) Niue 28.0 (20.0)
118. (167) Samoa 28.0 (22.0)
118. (96) Sri Lanka 28.0 (28.0)
133. (130) Morocco 27.8 (24.2)
133. (43) Russian Fed. 27.8 (31.9)
135. (72) Pakistan 27.7 (29.1)
135. (70) South Africa 27.7 (29.2)
137. (99) Ecuador 27.6 (27.5)
138. (91) Greece 27.1 (28.0)
139. (47) Georgia 27.0 (31.4)
139. (123) Paraguay 27.0 (25.3)
141. (121) Fiji 26.8 (25.3)
142. (107) Afghanistan 26.7 (26.7)
142. (109) Benin 26.7 (26.7)
142. (69) Sudan 26.7 (29.3)
142. (117) Zimbabwe 26.7 (26.0)
146. (158) Uganda 26.2 (22.5)
147. (64) Belarus 26.0 (30.0)
147. (165) Dominican Rep. 26.0 (22.0)
147. (177) Madagascar 26.0 (20.0)
150. (124) Senegal 25.7 (25.1)

Rankings from 150 to 198


   RANK    COUNTRY              RATING

150. (105) Uzbekistan 25.7 (27.0)
152. (120) El Salvador 25.6 (25.3)
153. (115) Nicaragua 25.2 (26.0)
154. (160) Djibouti 24.9 (22.1)
155. (86) Bangladesh 24.7 (28.0)
155. (149) Mauritius 24.7 (23.7)
155. (118) Seychelles 24.7 (25.5)
158. (128) Algeria 24.6 (30.3)
159. (156) Venezuela 24.3 (23.2)
160. (87) Bolivia 24.0 (28.0)
160. (198) Burundi 24.0 (8.0)
160. (136) Cote d'Ivoire 24.0 (24.0)
160. (157) Cuba 24.0 (22.7)
160. (176) Indonesia 24.0 (20.0)
160. (178) Mali 24.0 (20.0)
160. (195) Naura 24.0 (16.0)
160. (181) Palau 24.0 (20.0)
160. (185) Soloman Is. 24.0 (18.0)
160. (144) Somalia 24.0 (24.0)
160. (193) Togo 24.0 (16.0)
171. (171) Honduras 23.0 (20.8)
172. (153) Yemen 22.9 (23.4)
173. (197) Chad 22.7 (9.0)
173. (172) Malawi 22.7 (20.7)
   RANK       COUNTRY              RATING

175. (111) Tunisia 22.4 (26.4)
176. (95) Laos 22.0 (28.0)
177. (154) Rwanda 21.9 (23.3)
178. (151) Thailand 21.7 (23.4)
179. (168) Namibia 21.5 (21.4)
180. (184) Cameroon 21.3 (19.0)
181. (187) Burkina Faso 20.0 (17.0)
181. (189) Cen. Africa Rep 20.0 (16.0)
181. (33) Macedonia 20.0 (33.0)
181. (126) Marshall Is. 20.0 (25.0)
181. (141) Moldova 20.0 (24.0)
181. (122) Myanmar 20.0 (25.3)
181. (179) Niger 20.0 (20.0)
181. (170) Papua N. Guinea 20.0 (21.0)
181. (192) Sao Tome, Princ. 20.0 (16.0)
181. (182) Somaliland 20.0 (20.0)
181. (194) Tonga 20.0 (16.0)
181. (147) Turkmanistan 20.0 (24.0)
193. (187) Tanzania 18.3 (17.5)
194. (114) Mauritania 18.0 (26.0)
195. (39) Tuvalu 16.0 (32.0)
196. (174) Comoros 12.0 (20.0)
196. (191) Guinea 12.0 (16.0)
198. (195) Kiribati 8.0 (12.0)



In order to improve electronic government, the report suggests that governments take several steps to reach their full potential in terms of accessibility and effectiveness. The ultimate goal of e-government is to provide citizens with services, information, and interactive features. To this end, sites need to be well-designed, easy to navigate, and accessible to a wide variety of users. The researchers suggest the following steps be undertaken:

  • standardize templates with consistent navigation;
  • have accessibility aids;
  • list when pages are updated;
  • organize pages by user type;
  • create “most popular” lists;
  • have an online services menu; and
  • have interactive technical assistance.

For more information on this study, contact Darrell M. West at (401) 863-1163 or e-mail [email protected]. The full Global e-Government Study is available online at www.insidepolitics.org. The appendix of that report presents detailed profiles for each of the 198 national governments.