In 2023, we published the 8th and final edition of the Digital Societies series, which focussed on how countries in Asia Pacific were accelerating progress on their ambitions to become fully-fledged digital societies. This was based on five components – connectivity, digital identity, digital citizenship, digital lifestyle and digital commerce.

The reports also chronicled the efforts of governments, the mobile industry and other stakeholders to bring citizens online, deliver life-enhancing services over digital channels, and use digital platforms to tackle some of society’s biggest challenges, including the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

In a fast-changing world characterised by growing concerns about the effect of climate change, diminishing supply of resources relative to demand, and political conflicts, resulting in new health and humanitarian emergencies, digitalisation has become the core element of nation building by integrating digital technologies and services into every sector of the economy.

Building on the foundation of the Digital Society series, this report marks the inaugural edition of the Digital Nations series. It explores the aspiration of governments in Asia Pacific to leverage digital technologies as a means to achieve sustainable, resilient and inclusive economic growth, based on the development of five key components of a digital nation: infrastructure, innovation, data governance, security and people.