Asia and the Pacific is the most digitally divided region of the world, and Southeast Asia is the most divided subregion. The Covid-19 pandemic detonated a "digital big bang" that spurred people, governments and businesses to become "digital by default"; a sea change that generated vast digital dividends. These benefits that have not been distributed equally, however. New development gaps have emerged as digital transformation reinforces a vicious cycle of socioeconomic inequalities, within and across countries.
Bridging these divides and ensuring advances in technology can benefit everyone will be a key challenge as the region seeks to achieve a more inclusive and sustainable post-pandemic recovery. A new Escap report, Asia-Pacific Digital Transformation Report 2022: Shaping our digital future, identifies five key "digital divides"; fault lines that separate those who can readily take advantage of new technology from those more likely to be left behind. These divides are related to age, gender, education, disability and geography.
