Estonia listed among digital leaders as Canada ranks near last

Canada placed 13th of 14 countries on an index of digital conditions, with people’s lack of confidence in the system identified as the main obstacle, according to a survey released by Interac Corp. on Thursday.

Canada scored 57.7 out of 100, below the group mean of 67.1 and well behind first-place Singapore at 83.3. Brazil finished last with 39.5.

Interac said that while Canada is dealing with AI adoption, rising fraud, growing cybersecurity threats and questions around digital sovereignty, the index finds the country’s biggest digital challenge is confidence in using technology, rather than access to it.

Estonia, Germany and South Korea were included because they are leaders in digital rankings. The United States and the United Kingdom were included because they have regulatory environments similar to Canada’s. Brazil, the only country outside the advanced-economy group, was described by Interac as a payments leader.

Lauren Mostowyk, head of corporate affairs and partnerships at Interac, said Canada’s low ranking points to a lack of predictability and an uneven path through the economy and the way Canadian consumers and businesses experience the digital economy, which is holding back growth.

The rankings draw on five measures: access to the internet, the capability of users, user confidence in digital services as they relate to fraud and scams, participation in online sales and e-commerce, and outcomes including labour productivity and digital competitiveness.

Mostowyk said strength across those pillars would make Canada more likely to become a digitally prosperous nation with what it already has. She said revealing the gaps could show that Canada has access and capability, while what it lacks is confidence.