The Netherlands has the 6th most advanced information and communication technologies (ICT) economy in the world, according to a new report from the International Telecommunication Union.

The annual report, entitled "Measuring the Information Society 2012," monitors ICT developments around the world. It includes the ICT Development Index (IDI), which ranks 155 countries according to their level of ICT access, use, and skills, and compares 2010 and 2011 scores.

The Republic of Korea tops the ranking as the world’s most advanced ICT economy. Eight of the ten top-ranked countries are from Europe, with the Republic of Korea (1st) and Japan (8th) completing the top 10. The top five countries have not changed rank between 2010 and 2011, and the only new country in the top 10 is the UK, which rose from 14th place last year to 9th place in 2012.

The Netherlands moved up from 7th place last year to 6th place in 2012 in the ranking. While an average of 73 percent of European households have access to the Internet, in the Netherlands this figure is 94 percent, and the percentage of households with a computer and with Internet access are among the highest in the world. At 49 percent, the mobile-broadband penetration rate is also very high.

Top 10 countries
› Korea
› Sweden
› Denmark
› Iceland
› Finland
› The Netherlands
› Luxembourg
› Japan
› United Kingdom
› Switzerland

In general, the report indicates that ICT uptake continues to grow worldwide, especially in developing countries, driven by a steady fall in the price of telephone and broadband Internet services, and also shows that the ICT sector has become a major contributor to economic growth in both developed and developing countries.

You can download the free report and access executive summaries in various languages here.