According to a December 2025 report on the tech-driven nations, the United States ranks as the most digitally advanced country in the world. The study by Relum examined major economies based on how well their technologies improve the everyday life of citizens.
- The United States is the most digitalized country in the world, handling $4.46 trillion in cashless payments and scoring 92/100 in e-governance.
- The Dutch show the highest satisfaction with their tech infrastructure, as 62% of residents report positive experiences with their country’s online services.
- Singapore runs the best government websites and apps, getting 97 points out of 100 for online public services.
The research examined how countries integrate technology into everyday life by looking at five main factors: how businesses use online platforms, the amount of cashless payments, how advanced government websites and apps are, how actively citizens use online civic platforms, and what percentage of residents are satisfied with their country’s tech services. Each country received a score from 0 to 100, highlighting the countries where technology makes it easier to pay bills, access government services, and handle daily tasks without visiting physical offices.
1. United States
- Business Digitalization Index: 87/100
- Annual Digital Payments: $4.46 trillion ($13,156 per person)
- E-Gov Development Index: 92/100
- Digital Citizen Participation Score: 95/100
- Net Satisfaction with Digital Services: 53%
The United States is the world’s most digitally advanced country. Americans use their phones and laptops to pay for almost everything, spending around $13K per person each year without using cash. That’s more than any other country, adding up to $4.46 trillion in online spending. Most businesses operate online too, earning 87/100 points for tech adoption. People here can also handle paperwork through websites and apps, with the country scoring 92/100 in e-governance.
2. Netherlands
The Netherlands comes second in tech adoption. The Dutch appear pleased with how quickly technology is advancing, as 62% say they’re satisfied with local digital services. Each person here spends $7K through digital transactions, showing how common cashless payments have become in the country. Government websites work well too (scoring 95/100), and residents can handle official tasks more easily from home. Businesses also run largely online, scoring 74 for how well they’ve switched to tech tools.
3. China
China ranks third and processes more digital payments than any other country. The average Chinese person spends about the same amount on cashless payments as someone in the Netherlands, but with such a large population, that adds up to around $10 trillion in digital transactions. China also provides quality online public services, scoring 87 in e-governance, close to Western standards. These services are widely used too, with more than 93 out of 100 citizens regularly interacting with government platforms.
4. Australia
Australia comes next. The country scores 96/100 for online public services, second only to Singapore, making it easy for locals to handle things like taxes and permits from home. Each person here spends about $6,720 without cash every year, adding up to $178.7 billion across the country. Businesses also operate largely online, while two out of every three citizens say they’re satisfied with how well the country’s digital services work.
5. Singapore
Singapore rounds out the top five and runs the best government online services in the world, scoring 97 out of 100. People here can sort out almost any official task through these platforms without visiting offices. Nearly everyone knows about them too, as 96% of citizens report actively using government websites. This tech-savvy population also handles money mostly without cash, with the average person completing $10,611 in digital payments each year, the third-highest amount globally.
Razvan-Lucian Haiduc, Chief Product Officer at Relum, commented on the study.
“Digital adoption isn’t only a Western thing anymore. Asia has caught up fast, with countries like China and Singapore now offering some of the most advanced tech. Still, we see that Northern Europe stays ahead of everyone when it comes to digitalization. It’s not only about government services. People there are more tech-savvy across the board, even when it comes to entertainment. One of the recent studies even showed that Dutch and Danish residents put up to 1,500 euros a year into gaming and streaming services, which reflects how the digital world is part of everyday life there.”
credit: https://relum.com
