Cybersecurity and the state and health of our digital systems and networks have been rising in importance globally as well as in the Caribbean region. Across the region, debilitating cyberattacks have occurred, resulting in the continuing consensus that countries’ security posture is still underdeveloped.

Although there are several practical steps organisations can implement to strengthen their networks and to make them more resilient to incidents, ideally, the government ought to ensure that the enabling environment also emphasises digital security with adequate measures have been implemented. Currently, some effort has been made to develop a framework to assess the cybersecurity readiness of countries. In this snapshot, we are examining the results from the latest Global Cybersecurity Index, which includes the following 16 Caribbean/Caribbean Community countries:

Methodology

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has developed the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) to monitor the cybersecurity measures implemented across the five work areas of the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA). The GCA, which was launched in 2007, provides a framework for international cooperation, efficiency and collaboration, which is built upon the following strategic pillars:

1. Legal Measures
2. Technical & Procedural Measures
3. Organizational Structures
4. Capacity Building
5. International Cooperation

Using these five pillars, the GCI is a composite index of indicators, which collectively represents a country’s level of cybersecurity commitments. Exhibit 1 outlines the scope of each of the pillars.

The data used for scoring was collected via a GCI questionnaire administered to the countries, which had to be supplemented by evidence to substantiate their responses and ensure accuracy. The GCI score for each country is assigned a score between 0 and 100, with each pillar weighted at 20 points. As a composite weighted index, each indicator, sub-indicator and micro-indicator is assigned a weight given the relative importance to the indicator group.

In addition to the GCI scores, the ITU has created a tiered system through which to consider country performance. Countries are grouped according to their total GCI score, as shown in Exhibit 2.

Country performance

Across the 16 Caribbean/CARICOM countries included in the assessment, the best-performing countries were the Dominican Republic, which scored 75.67 out of 100 and was followed by Cuba (72.73) and Jamaica (58.20), as shown in Exhibit 3. At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest-scoring countries were (surprisingly!), Antigua and Barbuda, which scored 17.89 out of 100, and thereafter, Grenada (20.15) and Dominica (22.83).

In examining the scores more closely, Caribbean countries generally scored the highest for the Legal Measures Pillar, virtually all of them have some cybersecurity and/or cybercrime legislation in place. However, countries generally scored the lowest for the Technical Measures Pillar, as few of them have established technical institutions, such as Cyber Incident Response Teams (CIRTs), or have adopted standards and frameworks addressing cybersecurity and cybercrime.

In Exhibit 4, which presents the scores countries received by pillar, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Grenada, Dominica, Haiti, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines all scored zero (0) for the Technical Measures pillar. Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada and Dominica also scored 0 for the Organisation Measures Pillar, which suggests that there is little to no coordination across institutions on cybersecurity and cybercrime-related policies and strategies.

On the other hand, and to varying degrees, countries have been undertaking capacity development activities to improve the cadre of trained security professionals, especially in the public service, and may also have conducted public education and awareness campaigns.  Similarly, most countries have either established or engaged in partnerships and cooperation and information-sharing arrangements, which would have been favourably considered under the Cooperation Measures Pillar.

In categorising countries by performance tiers, most of the Caribbean countries examined fell between Tier 3 and Tier 4, as shown in Exhibit 5, which suggests that there is some government commitment to cybersecurity and moderate measures had been implemented in at least one pillar (for Tier 4) or multiple pillars (for Tier 3).

To be categorised as Tier 5, which was the case with Antigua and Barbuda, it suggests that generally accepted cybersecurity measures were achieved for at least one indicator and/or sub-indicator, but the measures were inadequate to address most of the requirements under any one pillar.

Discussion of findings

The GCI is a useful tool as it provides some insight into the cybersecurity and cybercrime posture of Caribbean countries, specifically, their cybersecurity commitments and capabilities. As the scores and the tier performance reflect, the countries in the region are still deficient in certain areas, especially:

• Having active CIRTs (Technical Measures Pillar)
• Engaging with a regional CIRT (Technical Measures Pillar)
• Establishing frameworks to adopt cybersecurity standards (Technical Measures Pillar)
• Having national cybersecurity strategies (Organisational Measures Pillar)
• Having cybersecurity agencies (Organisational Measures Pillar)
• Establishing and implementing child online protection strategies (Organisational Measures Pillar).

However, it ought to be noted that the above measures and all of those examined to determine a country’s GCI, are unlikely to deter threat actors. Instead, they will make counties more resilient when incidents occur as more comprehensive frameworks and systems would have been implemented, and countries would more easily be able to access national, regional and international support to expedite their recovery.

Image credit:   Brian Penny (Pixabay)

Last week, on 17 September, the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA) published the results of its latest e-government development survey, which covers all 193 United Nations member states. The exercise included 16 Caribbean countries, which are listed in Exhibit 1.

In this article, as we have done for the past several editions of the survey results, we highlight and discuss the performance of the Caribbean countries included in the exercise.

Determining the EGDI

The United Nations e-Government Development Index (EGDI) measures “a country’s readiness, capacity and progress in using e-government for the provision of public services”. Similar to previous years, the EGDI consists of three key indices, as outlined in Exhibit 2, but as needed the subindices are refined to better align with the evolving environment.

The OSI assessment questions are categorized into five discrete thematic areas reflected in five subindices – institutional framework (IF), services provision (SP), content provision (CP), technology (TEC), and e-participation (EPI) – with the OSI calculated based on the normalized values for each subindex.

The TII comprises four subindices: the estimated number of Internet users per 100 inhabitants, the number of mobile subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, the number of wireless broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, plus a newly added affordability indicator

The HCI seeks to capture the human dimension of e-government by evaluating the ability of citizens to utilise digital government systems. The factors examined are the expected years of schooling, the mean years of schooling, the gross enrolment ratio (%), adult literacy, and e-government literacy (EGL).

Finally, the scores for the OSI, TII and HCI are valued between 0 and 1, and the weighted average of the three is used to arrive at the EGDI for each of the 193 countries examined.

How did Caribbean countries perform in the 2024 survey?

Across most Caribbean countries included in the survey, the 2024 EGDI scores were lower than in 2022, which is also reflected in their drop in global ranking, as shown in Exhibit 3. Further, no Caribbean country is ranked among the top 50 for the 2024 exercise, though only The Bahamas, the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago would be among the top half of the global ranking.

Over the past two reporting periods, The Bahamas has been the highest-ranked country in the sample group. In previous survey exercises, Barbados tended to be the highest ranked. However, between 2022 and 2024, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago and Jamaica, in particular, appear to have made some marked improvements in some of the subindices measured under the EGDI.

At the other end of the list, the lowest-ranked Caribbean countries have remained the same, though their order has changed between 2022 and 2024:

As a point of reference, Exhibit 4 lists the top 10 ranked countries globally in 2020. Based on the scores and ranking, the Caribbean region is still far behind.

In breaking down the EGDI scores each Caribbean country received, Exhibit 4 shows the scores for the sub-indices that comprise the EGDI. Unlike previous years when most countries would have received their highest score for HCI. The 2024 results seem more of a mixed bag with countries either performing their best for the TII or HCI. Consistently, the OSI scores are markedly lower than for the other two indices.

The top three Caribbean countries with respect to

• OSI, were the Dominican Republic (0.6405), followed by Trinidad and Tobago (0.5999); Jamaica (0.5677), and
• TII, were Suriname (0.8714); followed by Saint Kitts and Nevis (0.8675), and The Bahamas (0.8652)
• HCI, were Barbados (0.7845), followed by Grenada (0.7550), and The Bahamas (0.7376).

What do these results suggest about e-government in the region?

In comparing the 2022 and 2024 results, it appears that generally, e-government development in Caribbean countries is not keeping pace with that occurring globally, evidenced by the fact that their global ranking dropped. However, some countries, such as Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago, had better EGDI scores in 2024 than for the previous recording period, which reflects improvements being made.

When the performance of Caribbean countries is examined across the past five reporting periods, as reflected in Exhibit 5, their performance has been uneven, with few countries demonstrating consistent improvement. However, it ought to be kept in mind that e-government development is highly dynamic globally, hence Caribbean countries may need to accelerate or increase the trajectory of their work in that space to keep pace with that of the rest of the world.

Image credit: Gerd Altmann (Pixabay)

On 21 May 2024, the United Kingdom telecoms company, The Cable, published the results of its latest research on the price of fixed broadband Internet service worldwide. The exercise was conducted between 7 September 2023 and 10 November 2023, with collected data from 223 countries.

Of the 223 examined, 31 Caribbean/CARICOM (Caribbean Community) countries were included. However, our review of the findings covers 30 countries (see Exhibit 1) as the data provided for Puerto Rico was inaccurate and would have skewed our analysis.

In addition to analysing the current findings, we will compare these results with those from the previous exercise, for which the data was collected between 2 January 2023 and 1 March 2023.

Methodology

Similar to previous iterations of the exercise, the data collected was presented in four key ways:

1. the average cost of a broadband plan per month
2. the cost of the cheapest plan in each country per month
3. the most expensive plan available, and
4. the cost of 1 Megabit per second (Mbps) of bandwidth for one month.

The Cable continues to provide a detailed account of the methodology employed, however, outlined below are some of the key points:

• All prices gathered were for fixed-line broadband plans that were delivered either ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) or some form of fibre, though there were a few exceptions
• Only consumer/domestic broadband plans were included. Business/enterprise broadband deals were excluded
• The prices of the broadband plans were recorded in their advertised currency and then converted to US Dollars (USD) in order to form a basis for comparison.
• Up to a maximum of 41 packages per country were recorded, as exceeding that cap has been shown to have negligible impact on the median averages that are output.
• Packages that include television subscriptions and other add-on features or services have been excluded in all countries except in cases where only broadband and television bundles are available and broadband service cannot be purchased on its own, which was rare, but does exist in the Caribbean region.
• In order to determine the average cost of a fixed broadband plan for each country, the median prices of all plans recorded are used, and that price includes any upfront or ongoing monthly costs.
• In order to determine the average cost of fixed-line broadband (per megabit per month, the cost per megabit for each plan was calculated by dividing the cost by the speed offered in megabits per second. Then the median cost was determined.

It should be noted that the average package price for each country is the median of all packages recorded, as it would not be subject to the skews of extremes in pricing.

Results:  Average price of a broadband internet plan per month

As reflected in Exhibit 2, there is a wide difference in the average cost of broadband internet plans across the Caribbean countries surveyed. The lowest average price was recorded in Cuba, at USD 29.52, whilst the highest was recorded in the Turks and Caicos Islands, at USD 212.00. Across the region, the median price was USD 75.32.

Similar to the previous assessment, only three Caribbean countries ranked within the first 100 countries surveyed: Cuba, at 69^th, and an average monthly price of USD 29.52, the Dominican Republic, at 82^nd, with an average monthly price of USD 33.51, and Montserrat at 84^th, with an average monthly price of USD 73.63.

At the opposite end of the ranking, the bottom three Caribbean countries, the lowest ranked countries were the Cayman Islands, at 215^th, with an average monthly price of USD 155.04, the British Virgin Islands, at 220^th, with an average monthly price of USD 189.00, and the Turks and Caicos Islands, at 221^st, with an average monthly price of USD 212.00. Comparatively, the top 10 countries globally were:

1. Sudan (USD 2.40  |  SDG 1367.00)
2. Argentina (USD 5.17  |  ARS 4533.33)
3. Belarus (USD 7.03  |  BYR 22.69)
4. Ukraine (USD 7.35  |  UAH 290.00)
5. Egypt (USD 8.31  |  EGP 398.80)
6. Romania (USD 8.60  |  RON 40.00)
7. Vietnam (USD 8.72  |  VND 221,642.50)
8. Kazakhstan (USD 9.08  |  KZT 3999.00)
9. Moldova (USD 9.19  |  MDL 163.50)
10. Nepal (USD 9.51  |  NPR 1,271.25)

Results:  Price of the cheapest and most expensive plan in each country per month

The rates for the cheapest and most expensive broadband Internet plans are presented in Exhibit 3. Once again, there is a considerable difference between those two extremes across the Caribbean region.

The greatest difference in fixed broadband Internet prices was recorded in Saint Lucia (USD 350.78), Antigua and Barbuda (USD 340.44), and Saint Barthélemy (USD 313.36). On the other hand, the smallest variation in prices was recorded in Martinique and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (USD 0.00), Guadeloupe (USD 26.65) and the Caribbean Netherlands, that is Bonaire, Sint Eustatius, Saba (USD 30.00).

Results:  Average cost of 1 Mbps of bandwidth for one month

Once again, the average cost per Mbps continues to be the most insightful of all of the assessments conducted, as it allows for more precise comparisons of the fixed-broadband rates across the region. As reflected in Exhibit 4, the lowest average cost per Mbps was recorded in Martinique, at USD 0.04 per Mbps, followed by Saint Martin, at USD 0.07 per Mbps, and Barbados and Grenada (USD 0.16 per Mbps).

At the other end of the spectrum, the highest average cost for fixed broadband Internet was recorded in Cuba, at USD 11.99 per Mbps. Slightly cheaper than Cuba were Sint Maarten, at USD 5.90 per Mbps and Saint Barthélemy (St Barths), at USD 5.01 per Mbps.

Reviewing the results

First, it highlighted that only five months separate the current and previous data collection period, as both were done in 2023: the first was completed in March; the second, in November. As unusual as it might be, the findings are still useful in understanding the changes in fixed broadband rates globally.

Between March and November 2023, the median of the average monthly price of broadband was largely the same:  USD 74.67 as of March 2023 and USD 75.32 as of November 2023, which was also reflected in median prices for the cheapest and most expensive plans. However, drilling down to individual countries, changes in the average monthly price is more evident, as reflected in Exhibit 5.

Only seven countries did not experience a price change or drop over the reporting periods. However, 14 experienced a price increase, which ranged between 0.03% in Cuba, to 42.85% in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Nine countries experienced a price decrease, which ranged from 1.05% in the Cayman Islands to 87.14% in Suriname.

Finally, we again emphasise that the prices of broadband plans were not being examined within the context of the upload and download speeds. For some of the countries that were recorded to have the cheapest broadband packages, their packages may not necessarily have the fastest broadband speeds.

Additionally, the prices are not being examined through the lens of affordability, which typically, factors in the income of their consumers and consequently, their ability to afford the packages offered. Further, the prices of a fixed-broadband plan in lower-income countries are likely to be lower than in higher-income countries, to match the income of consumers. However, it often means that the transmission speeds available in higher-income countries – and even the service quality – may be considerably better than in lower-income countries.

Image credit: Alpha Stock Images

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more deeply integrated into our lives, countries are beginning to grapple with a broad range of difficult questions that have been emerging, as the technology continues to challenge how we think and even how we approach basic and complex activities. As a result, matters related to AI ethics, AI governance, responsible AI, and the implications of AI on education, learning and business, are among the issues that are currently being debated, which were also discussed on a recent podcast episode.

However, in a world where ‘what gets measured gets done’, it is not a surprise that countries are being assessed on their readiness for AI. Research organisation, Oxford Insights, has been producing global AI readiness reports since 2019, and in December 2023, it published its Government AI Readiness Index 2023. The 2023 exercise included 193 countries worldwide, including 16 Caribbean/Caribbean Community (CARICOM), as presented in Exhibit 1.

In this our first examination of the Government AI Readiness Index, we outline the methodology and the indicators evaluated for the 2023 exercise and highlight how the included Caribbean countries performed.

Methodology and metrics

Government AI Readiness Index is assessing countries worldwide on the readiness of governments to adopt and implement AI technologies in their public services and governance. The index produced is underpinned by the three pillars, which in turn comprise 39 indicators across 10 dimensions, as outlined in Exhibit 2.

For each of the indicators scores were assigned, which were normalised to be between 0 and 100. The total score was determined by taking the arithmetic mean of each dimension, and the arithmetic mean of the three pillars. All of the indicators, dimensions, and pillars were weighted equally.

Data to inform each indicator is collated from third-party sources that regularly survey countries and in some instances, produce their own index. Some of the sources are the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Government Pillar

The Government Pillar, which examines how well-prepared the governments are to develop and govern AI responsibly, Caribbean countries did not perform well, as reflected in Exhibit 3. The highest-scoring country was the Dominican Republic, whilst the lowest-scoring was Haiti.

At the time of publishing the Dominican Republic was the only country that had an AI vision or strategy, and correspondingly was more advanced in matters related to governance and ethics, digital capacity, and adaptability.

Technology Sector Pillar

The results under the Technology Sector Pillar were more even across the region that was reported for the Government Pillar dimension. However, all countries scored between 25 and 35 out of a maximum score of 100, with Haiti scoring the lowest (approximately 23 points) and Barbados, the highest (around 33 points).

However, on closer review of the indicators under this pillar, and although the indicators should be informing the question, “Does the country have a technology sector capable of supplying governments with AI technologies?”, the assessment included, among other indicators, the number of AI Unicorns, number of non-AI Unicorns, VC availability and GitHub users per thousand population. As has been discussed in various fora, including ICT Pulse, the region’s tech innovation system is still underdeveloped, hence it should not be surprising that countries could have scored poorly for this pillar.  

Data and Infrastructure Pillar

Regarding whether countries have the data resources and infrastructure needed to support the development and use of AI, countries performed much better than for the Technology Sector Pillar (see Exhibit 5). This time, and as shown in Exhibit 5, the scores ranged from 34 out of 100 points in Haiti to 61 out of 100 points in The Bahamas.

Interestingly, the countries’ Infrastructure scores were relatively low – all under 50 points, as that dimension examined the number of supercomputers, the deployment of 5G infrastructure and the adoption of emerging technologies. However, countries scored better on the Data Availability and the Data Representativeness dimensions.

Initial takeaways

The Government AI Readiness Index was first published in 2019 and has been evolving, with new indicators being added and the methodology being refined over the years. Caribbean/CARICOM countries were included in that first exercise, but cognisant of the visibility AI has gained over the past two years, it would not have been a prominent consideration in many developing countries, which would be reflected in their scores.

Having said this, and with almost any global assessment, the playing field is almost inherently uneven, as there are often metrics that can realistically be achieved by richer and more populous countries. Notwithstanding, these exercises offer on structure against which we can ensure that we are covering our bases and incentivise us to improve in the relevant areas.

One of the biggest hurdles the 2023 Index highlighted is the absence of an AI policy or strategy in most Caribbean/CARICOM countries. As previously stated Dominica Republic has an AI strategy and so scored 100 points. Jamaica scored 50 points, which suggests that a framework is being prepared but has not been adopted or implemented. The remaining countries scored zero!

Developing an AI policy and/or strategy does require effort and commitment from countries, but it is also foundational. However, it also emphasises the importance of strengthening our data protection and privacy legislation as well as cybersecurity, which are issues that are being widely discussed across the region, but for which we have not been making the requisite progress.

Further, noting that the assessment focuses on governments’ readiness for AI, the state of their digital transformation is also being examined. Hence the development of e-government, and the availability of online services across government and between businesses and consumers, are important considerations, which are reflected in the scores received.

Image credit:  Gerd Altmann  (Pixabay)

In September 2023, United Kingdom telecoms firm, The Cable, also known as Cable.co.uk, published the results of a global study of the cost of 1 Gigabyte (GB) of mobile data. This year’s exercise covered 237 countries, in which 5,603 mobile data plans were collated and analysed (Source: The Cable).

The study includes 31 Caribbean/Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, and in addition to presenting the 2023 results, we also briefly examine the results recorded and presented in 2022.

Key points on Cable.co.uk’s Methodology

Between 5 July 2023 and 6 September 2023., Cable.co.uk gathered and examined the mobile data plans offered in 237 countries. The following data was recorded in each country’s local currency, and thereafter, was converted to United States Dollars (USD), based on exchange rates on 7 September 2023, in order to provide a basis for comparison:

• the cheapest price for 1 GB of mobile data
• the most expensive price for 1 GB of mobile data
• the average price for 1 GB of mobile data.

In the Caribbean region, 31 countries and a total of 520 mobile data plans were analysed. Exhibit 1 lists the countries and the number of mobile data plans per country that were examined.

Similar to previous iterations of this exercise, Cable.co.uk gathered data plans and prices that require a SIM card – so mobile/cellular data plan. However, these plans often include a quantity of free calls and texts. Additionally, the researchers included ‘pure data’ plans, such as those designed for tablets or laptop computers, “to provide the broadest balance of mobile data costing” (Source: The Cable).

Finally, it is highlighted that the exercise was not restricted to examining 1 GB mobile data plans only. A cross-section of the data plans available offered by each provider in a particular country would be selected.  Also, in countries where only unlimited data deals are available, the average data usage per user was used to calculate the cost of 1GB.

Additionally, a maximum of 60 plans or packages per country were recorded, as the inclusion of more plans has a negligible impact on the median average. Finally, it should again be noted that the average cost for 1 GB has been calculated as the MEDIAN of all recorded package prices/data limits.

Cheapest price for 1GB of mobile data

Exhibit 2 highlights the cheapest price for 1 GB of mobile data across the Caribbean. The prices ranged between USD 0.09 in Haiti and USD 3.60 in the Cayman Islands.

In addition to Haiti, the cheapest prices were recorded in Trinidad and Tobago at USD 0.15 for 1 GB of data, which was followed by Martinique, at USD 0.21, and Guadeloupe, at USD 0.22. At the other end of the spectrum and in addition to the Cayman Islands, the most expensive plans for this metric were recorded in the British Virgin Islands and the United States Virgin Islands, at USD 3.38 and USD 2.80, respectively, and in Barbados, at USD 2.06.

 Most expensive price for 1GB of mobile data

The most expensive prices for 1 GB of mobile data across the Caribbean are shown in Exhibit 3, which ranged from USD 1.05, in Haiti, to USD 36.79, in Guyana.

In addition to Haiti and among Caribbean countries, the lowest prices were recorded in Jamaica, at USD 1.65, and Dominica, at USD 2.47. Conversely, and after Guyana, the most expensive prices were reported in Trinidad and Tobago, at USD 25.81 and Puerto Rico, at USD 20.00.

The average price for 1GB of mobile data

The analysts at Cable.co.uk continue to note that island nations in the Caribbean tend to be among the most expensive in the world. Exhibit 4 presents the average price for 1 GB of mobile data across the region, which ranges from USD 0.22 in Haiti, to USD 8.39 in the Cayman Islands, and for which the regional average is USD 2.18.

In addition to Haiti, the lowest average prices were reported in Trinidad and Tobago, at USD 0.15, and in Martinique and Guadeloupe, at USD 0.21 and USD 0.22, respectively. At the bottom of the list, and in addition to the Cayman Islands, the highest average prices were recorded in the British Virgin Islands, at USD 5.24, and in the Bahamas, as USD 4.99.

A few thoughts on the results

Although the price for 1 GB of data continues to vary considerably across the Caribbean region, the regional average for 1 GB of data decreased from USD 3.44 in 2022 to USD 2.18 in 2023. This trend is also reflected by country, except for Puerto Rico where the average price increased from USD 1.93 to USD 2.58, as reflected in Exhibit 5.

Also, focusing on the observation made by Cable on prices in the region, it should be noted that only four Caribbean countries were ranked among the top 50 worldwide:  Haiti (11th); Trinidad and Tobago (23rd); Martinique (25th); and Guadeloupe (44th). Moreover, only nine countries were ranked in the top 100 countries, with the Cayman Islands being ranked 228th out of 233 countries.

Having said this, this exercise is not examining the affordability of 1 GB of data. So although the dollar figure in the Caribbean region may be higher than in other parts of the world, the portion it would represent of an average person’s income may be relatively low.

Nevertheless, it is important to monitor the changes in prices and consider them against affordability to ensure universal digital inclusion is realised and maintained.

Image credit:   Sara Kurfeß (Unsplash)

On 1 August, United Kingdom triple-play telecoms service provider, Cable, published the results of a global broadband speed assessment, which featured 220 countries, including 30 from the Caribbean/Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. The download speed tests were recorded over a 12-month period, ending 30 June 2023, and the results are currently the most comprehensive data set that is publicly available.

Methodology

Similar to previous years, and over a period of 12 months up to 30 June 2023, Cable collated broadband speed test data from several sources, including regulators and speed test providers that conduct and track broadband speed test results. Over the review period, the results of over 1.2 billion broadband speed tests conducted across 220 countries were compiled and analysed.

Similar to previous exercises, the download speeds recorded are those available to a device via a router, and so represent actual (or realistic) speeds experienced by the user – via Wi-Fi, Ethernet connection, or other means. For each country, download speed tests had to be recorded from at least 100 unique Internet Protocol addresses. Additionally, test results were excluded if, among other things, the speed test exercises were unduly long or short, or congestion had been caused by the client device for more than 20% of the test duration (Source:  Cable).

We again have extracted the test results for the Caribbean countries included in the global league tables. In the 2023 assessment, 30 Caribbean countries and/or island groups were again included, as reflected in Exhibit 1.

Across this group of Caribbean countries, the results were collated from 1,128,947 speed tests that occurred between 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, from 253,012 unique IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.

In the sections that follow, we

• present the mean broadband speeds recorded for Caribbean countries over a 12-month period, ending 30 June 2023; and
• briefly compare the 2023 results with those recorded in 2022, and thereafter
• discuss the results.

2023 test results for the Caribbean region

For the Caribbean countries examined, typical download speeds ranged from a low of 4.14 Mbps in Cuba, to 125.08 Mbps in the Cayman Islands, as reflected in Exhibit 2. Across the region, the average download speed was 47.95 Mbps.

Among the countries with the fastest download speeds and in addition to the Cayman Islands, were Puerto Rico, with an average download speed of 96.65 Mbps, and Barbados, with 93.50 Mbps.  At the other end of the spectrum, and in addition to Cuba, were Haiti and Suriname, with an average download speed of 10.75 Mbps and 12.48 Mbps, respectively.

Comparing the 2023 and 2022 test results

In comparing the speed test results recorded in 2023 and in 2022, overall, the mean download speeds increased over the 12-month period under review, as shown in Exhibit 3. Since 2022, the mean download speed averaged across the sample group increased by 58%, or just nearly 18 Mbps, from the average regional speed of 30.43 Mbps in 2022.

Exhibit 4 shows the change in the per-country mean download speeds recorded in 2022 and 2023 as a percentage. The smallest increase in download speed was recorded in Saint Martin, at 8.86%, which was followed by Haiti, at 12.71%, and Aruba, at 12.46%. At the other end of the spectrum, the greatest increase in download speed was recorded in Dominica, at 228.23%, which was followed by Saint Kitts and Nevis, at 169.34% and the British Virgin Islands, at 153.68%.

Only two countries recorded a decrease in mean download speeds over the periods under review.  Belize recorded a 7.66% decrease, from 42.08 Mbps in 2022, to 38.86 Mbps in 2023. Bonaire recorded a 3.07% decrease, from 27.10 Mbps in 2022, to 26.27 Mbps in 2023.

A brief discussion of the results

Generally, between 2022 and 2023 the mean broadband Internet speed across the Caribbean sample of countries increased. However, this increase may not necessarily and solely reflect bandwidth upgrades by the telcos, but could also be due to less congestion on certain parts of the network with school closures and work-from-home restrictions being lifted across the region. Nevertheless, service quality issues still seem to be high across the region, with service unavailability and service instability being frequent complaints.

It is also instructive to note that more Caribbean countries, six to be exact, have been ranked in the top 50 worldwide, and 21 Caribbean countries out of the 30-country sample group are in the top half of the ranking. Those in the top 50 are:  the Cayman Islands (17th); Puerto Rico(29th); Barbados (35th); Grenada (45th); Aruba (47th); and the United States Virgin Islands (49th).

Finally, as highlighted by Cable, “Speed test data tend to show a negativity bias”, as individuals are more likely to run those tests when they are having connectivity challenges. As a result, the typical or mean download speeds users experience may be higher. Notwithstanding, this data offers us some insight into the mean download speeds globally and how Caribbean countries have been performing in that regard.

Image credit:  Mathew Schwartz (Unsplash)

Earlier this week, on Tuesday 14 March to exact, the United Kingdom telecoms company, The Cable, published the results of its latest research on the price of fixed broadband Internet service worldwide. The exercise was conducted between 2 January 2023 and 1 March 2023, with collected data from 219 countries.

Of the 219 examined, Exhibit 1 lists the Caribbean/CARICOM (Caribbean Community) countries that were included.

The previous review of fixed broadband internet rates was conducted in almost a year ago, with the results published in April 2022. So in addition to presenting the new findings, we will compare some of the 2023 results with those recorded in 2022.

Methodology

Similar to previous iterations of the exercise, the data collected was presented in four key ways:

1. the average cost of a broadband plan per month
2. the cost of the cheapest plan in each country per month
3. the most expensive plan available, and
4. the cost of 1 Megabit per second (Mbps) of bandwidth for one month.

The Cable continues to provide a detailed account of the methodology employed, however, outlined below are some of the key points:

• All prices gathered were for fixed-line broadband plans that were delivered either ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) or some form of fibre, though there were a few exceptions
• Only consumer/domestic broadband plans were included. Business/enterprise broadband deals were excluded
• The prices of the broadband plans were recorded in their advertised currency, and then converted to US Dollars (USD) in order to form a basis for comparison.
• Up to a maximum of 41 packages per country were recorded, as exceeding that cap has been shown to have negligible impact on the median averages that are output.
• Packages that include television subscriptions and other add-on features or services have been excluded in all countries except in cases where only broadband and television bundles are available and broadband service cannot be purchased on its own, which was rare, but does exist in the Caribbean region.
• In order to determine the average cost of a fixed broadband plan for each country, the median prices of all plans recorded are used, and that price included any upfront or ongoing monthly costs
• In order to determine the average cost of fixed-line broadband (per megabit per month, the cost per megabit for each plan was calculated by dividing the cost by the speed offered in megabits per second. Then the median cost was determined.

It should be noted that the average package price for each country is the median of all packages recorded, as it would not be subject to the skews of extremes in pricing.

Results:  Average price of a broadband internet plan per month

Across the Caribbean countries surveyed, there is a wide variance in the average cost of broadband internet plans, as shown in Exhibit 2. The lowest average price was recorded in Cuba, at USD 29.51, whilst the highest was recorded in Suriname, at USD 269.44. Across the region, the median price was USD 74.69.

It should be noted only three Caribbean countries ranked within the first 100 countries surveyed: Cuba, at 68^th and an average monthly price of USD 29.51,  the Dominican Republic, at 89^th and an average monthly price of USD 38.70, and Martinique at 97^th and an average monthly price of USD 42.47. With respect to the ranking of the bottom-three Caribbean countries, the lowest ranked out of 2019 countries was Suriname, at 218^th and an average monthly price of USD 269.44, the Turks and Caicos Islands, at 216^th and an average monthly price of USD 199.00, and the British Virgin Islands, at 213^th and an average monthly price of USD 179.00. Comparatively, the top 10 countries globally were:

1. Sudan (USD 2.30)
2. Kazakhstan (USD 5.11)
3. Moldova (USD 7.03)
4. Belarus (USD 7.34)
5. Romania (USD 7.57)
6. Ukraine (USD 7.87)
7. Iran (USD 9.35)
8. Nepal (USD 9.46)
9. Egypt (USD 9.67)
10. India (USD 10.11)

Results:  Price of the cheapest and most expensive plan in each country per month

In comparing the cheapest and most expensive broadband Internet plans, which are presented in Exhibit 3, it is readily evident that there is a wide disparity in the rates across the Caribbean region. It should be noted that in the case of Suriname, which is the most expensive plan, its true price is not fully reflected in the graph, as is over seven times more expensive than the second most expensive plan (at USD 2,653.95). It has thus been shaded in grey to indicate this irregularity.

 The greatest variation in fixed broadband Internet prices was recorded in Suriname (USD 2,629.69), the Cayman Islands (USD 397.03), and Antigua and Barbuda USD 340.44. On the other hand, the smallest variations in prices were recorded in Martinique and Saint Martin and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (USD 0.00), Guadeloupe (USD 9.40) and Caribbean Netherlands (USD 30.00), which would include Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba.

Results:  Average cost of 1 Mbps of bandwidth for one month

The average cost per Mbps continues to be the most insightful of all of the assessments conducted, as it allows for more precise comparisons of the fixed-broadband rates across the region. As reflected in Exhibit 4, the lowest average cost per Mbps was recorded in Martinique, at USD 0.04 per Mbps, which followed by Saint Martin, at USD 0.11 per Mbps, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (USD 0.18 per Mbps).

 At the other end of the spectrum, the highest average cost for fixed broadband Internet was recorded in Cuba, at USD 11.78 per Mbps. Following Cuba with a relatively high average price per Mbps were: Suriname, at USD 5.31 per Mbps and Sint Maarten, at USD 5.29 per Mbps.

Some thoughts on the findings

Between 2022 and 2023, overall fixed broadband prices have increased across the Caribbean region. The median price across the 31 Caribbean countries surveyed is USD 74.69 in 2023, versus USD 62.58 in 2022. Further and in Exhibit 5, only 12 experienced no change in price or a price drop over the reporting periods.

 The reason for the price increases across most Caribbean countries is not clear, and may merit further investigation. However, contributing factors could be inflation and the price hikes that have been experienced globally in recent years, and the higher cost of doing business across the region, all of which have been passed on to consumers.

Finally, it is important to emphasise that the prices of broadband plans are not being examined within the context of the upload and download speeds. Historically, some of the countries that were recorded to have the cheapest broadband packages do not necessarily have plans with the fastest broadband speeds. The prices offered in individual countries tend to factor in the typical income of their consumers. Hence the typical prices of a fixed-broadband plan in lower-income countries are most likely lower than in higher-income countries, with the transmission speeds available in the latter considerably faster than in the former.

Images credit: Leon Seibert (Unsplash)

On 6 September 2021, United Kingdom triple play telecoms service provider, Cable, published the results of a global broadband speed assessment, which featured 220 countries, including 30 from the Caribbean/Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. The download speed tests were recorded over a 12-month period, ending 30 June 2022, and currently are the most comprehensive set of results that are publicly available.

Methodology

Similar to previous years, and over a period of 12 months up to 30 June 2022, broadband speed test results were collected from a broad range of resources, including regulators and speed test providers that measure and collate broadband speed test results. The results were compiled and presented by Cable.

Similar to previous exercises, the download speeds recorded are those available to a device via a router, and so represent actual (or realistic) speeds experienced by the user – via Wi-Fi, Ethernet connection, or other means. For each country, download speed tests had to be recorded from at least 100 unique Internet Protocol addresses. Additionally, test results were excluded if, among other things, the speed test exercises were unduly long or short, or congestion had been caused by the client device for more than 20% of the test duration (Source:  Cable).

We again have extracted the test results for the Caribbean countries included in the global league tables. For the 2022 assessment, 30 countries and/or island groups were included, as reflected in Exhibit 1.

Across this group of Caribbean countries, the results were collated from 956,044 speed tests that occurred between 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2022, from 240,041 unique IP (Internet Protocol) addresses.

In the sections that follow, we

• present the average broadband speeds recorded for Caribbean countries over a 12-month period, ending 30 June 2022 results; and
• briefly compare the 2022 results with those recorded in 2021.

2022 test results

For the Caribbean countries examined, typical download speeds ranged from a low of 3.26 Mbps in Cuba, to 99.42 Mbps in the Cayman Islands, as reflected in Exhibit 2. Across the region, the average download speed was 30.43 Mbps.

Among the countries with the fastest download speeds and in addition to the Cayman Islands, were Puerto Rico, with an average download speed of 72.78 Mbps, and Aruba, with 61.10 Mbps.  At the other end of the spectrum, and in addition to Cuba, were Suriname, with an average download speed of 9.48 Mbps, and Haiti, with 9.54 Mbps.

Comparing 2022 with 2021 test results

In comparing the speed test results recorded in 2022 and in 2021, it can be readily observed that in nine countries, the average download speeds decreased over the 12-month period under review, as shown in Exhibit 3. However, in 2022, the download speed averaged across the sample group increased by over 5 percentage points, or just over 6 Mbps, from the average regional speed of 23.97 Mbps, which was recorded in 2021.

Exhibit 4 shows the change in the average per country download speeds recorded in 2021 and 2022 as a percentage. The smallest increase in download speed was recorded in the Dominican Republic, at 2.01%, which was followed by Haiti, at 3.02%, and Guadeloupe, at 4.15%. At the other end of the spectrum, the greatest increase in download speed was recorded in Curaçao, at 902.05%, which was followed by the Cayman Islands and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, at 412.47% and 388.29%, respectively.

Among the countries that recorded a decrease in average download speeds over the period under review, the smallest decreases were recorded in Saint Martin (0.70%), Martinique (8.02%) and Aruba (13.53%). On the other hand, the greatest decreases in average download speeds were recorded in Cuba (95.44%), Saint Barthélemy (59.25%) and Suriname (33.80%).

Some parting thoughts

Internet download speeds continue to increase across the Caribbean region. In seven of the countries, download speeds at least doubled, and in one instance, it was nine times what had been recorded a year ago. It thus was still surprising that for almost a third of the countries, a decrease in download speed was recorded.

However, it was surprising that for a third of the countries examined, a decline in the average download speed between 2020 and 2021 had been recorded. In our previous review, which compared the results of 2019 and 2020, it was only one country, Sint Maarten, that had recorded a drop in download speed.

Although a precise reason for the increase in download speed may not be readily available or known, for the cases in which significant increases were recorded, they may have been due to infrastructural upgrades. Conversely, in the countries where a significant drop in download speed was recorded, it could have been due to increased demand, leading to greater congestion on the networks, thus precipitating consumers to run broadband speed tests.

Image credit: Frederik Lipfert (Unsplash)

In July 2022, United Kingdom telecoms firm, The Cable, also known as Cable.co.uk, published the results of a global study of the cost of 1 Gigabyte (GB) of mobile data. The exercise covered 233 countries, in which 5,292 mobile data plans were collated and analysed (Source: The Cable).

The study includes 31 Caribbean/Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries, and in addition to presenting the results, we also briefly examine the results recorded and presented in 2021.

Key points on Cable.co.uk’s Methodology

Between 16 March 2022 and 2 June 2022, Cable.co.uk gathered and examined the mobile data plans offered in 233 countries. The following data was recorded in each country’s local currency, and thereafter, was converted to United States Dollars (USD), based on exchange rates on 12 July 2022, in order to provide a basis for comparison:

• the cheapest price for 1 GB of mobile data
• the most expensive price for 1 GB of mobile data
• the average price for 1 GB of mobile data.

In the Caribbean region, 31 countries and a total of 486 mobile data plans were analysed. Exhibit 1 list the countries and the number of mobile data plans per country that were examined.

Similar to previous iterations of this exercise, Cable.co.uk gathered data plans and prices that require a SIM card – so mobile/cellular data plan. However, it was noted that frequently, these plans would also include a number of free calls and texts. Additionally, the researchers included ‘pure data’ plans, such as those designed for tablets or laptop computers, “to provide the broadest balance of mobile data costing” (Source: The Cable).

Finally, it must be emphasised that the exercise was not restricted to examining 1 GB mobile data plans only. It would have comprised all, or a wide cross-section of the data plans available, and thereafter, to determine the rate per GB that would be payable.  In countries where only unlimited data deals are available, the average data usage per user was used to calculate the cost of 1GB. Finally, it is highlighted that the average cost for 1 GB has been calculated as the MEDIAN of all recorded package prices/data limits.

Cheapest price for 1GB of mobile data

Exhibit 2 highlights the cheapest price for 1 GB of mobile data across the Caribbean. The prices ranged between USD 0.14 and USD 5.50.

The cheapest prices were recorded in Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago at USD 0.14 for 1 Gb of data, which was followed by Antigua and Barbuda, at USD 0.18, and Suriname, at USD 0.29. At the other end of the spectrum is the Turks and Caicos Islands, where the cheapest price was USD 5.50. The Turks and Caicos Islands were followed by Barbados, at USD 5.00, and Barbados, at USD 5.41, and the Cayman Islands, at USD 3.58.

 Most expensive price for 1GB of mobile data

The most expensive prices for 1 GB of mobile data across the Caribbean are shown in Exhibit 3, which ranged from USD 1.07, in Haiti, to USD 90.11, in the French Caribbean.

In addition to Haiti and among Caribbean countries, the lowest prices were recorded in Dominica, at USD 2.10, and Suriname, at USD 2.84. Conversely, the most expensive prices were reported in the French Caribbean, specifically Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy and Saint-Martin. The French Caribbean was followed by the Dominican Republic, at USD 23.48 and the Caribbean Netherlands, which typically comprises Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, at USD 19.16.

The average price for 1GB of mobile data

The analysts at Cable.co.uk continue to note that “Most Caribbean nations are in the more expensive half of the list but the difference between the most expensive and the cheapest is extreme. The Cayman Islands are the most expensive in the Caribbean with an average of USD 10.43, while an average 1GB in Haiti is 28 times cheaper at USD 0.37.”. Exhibit 4 presents the average price for 1 GB of mobile data across the region.

In addition to Haiti, the lowest average prices were reported in the Dominican Republic, at USD 0.94, and in Trinidad and Tobago at USD 0.98, and in. At the bottom of the list, and in addition to the Cayman Islands, the highest average prices were recorded in the Turks and Caicos Islands, at USD 7.00, and in the British Virgin Islands, at USD 6.88.

A few thoughts on the results

As has been the trend, the price for 1 GB of data continues to vary considerably across the Caribbean region.  However, it must again be emphasised that a wide cross-section of mobile data plans would have been gathered and analysed by the researchers at Cable.co.uk, which is likely to contribute to the broad variation observed.

Additionally, and compared with countries worldwide, the average price of 1 GB of mobile data in the Caribbean region is still expensive. Eight Caribbean countries – an improvement from the seven in 2021 – fell within the less expensive half of the ranking, out of 233 countries:

1. Haiti (14th)
2. Dominican Republic (69th);
3. Trinidad and Tobago (71st)
4. Guadeloupe (82nd);
5. Dominica (86th)
6. Jamaica (94th)
7. Martinique (104th); and
8. Saint Barthélemy (115th).

Having said this, in most Caribbean countries mobile data prices have been decreasing, as reflected in Exhibit 5, which indicates the percentage change for the average price of a 1 GB plan in each of the Caribbean countries examined. The comparison used average prices in the local currency, not USD, and so would not be directly affected by changes in exchange rates.

There is some concern about the increase in the average price of 1 GB of mobile data that has been recorded in Aruba, Suriname, Guadeloupe, the United States Virgin Islands and Cuba. Do note that Cuba was not included in Exhibit 5, as the average price reportedly increased by 900%(!) between 2021 and 2022, and would have unduly skewed the graph.

In the five countries cited above, further research would be needed to determine why such a substantial increase in the average price of 1 GB of mobile data was reported. For example, these prices could have been part of a bundled plan that included calls and text messaging and would be difficult to disaggregate or otherwise allocate an accurate price for 1GB of data. Hence, as a bundled plan, the overall price may be attractive, but might not compare as favourably with ‘pure data’ plans.

Image credit:  Jim Makos (flickr)

Earlier this week, United Kingdom telecoms company, The Cable, published the results of its latest research on fixed-line broadband Internet rates worldwide. The exercise was conducted between 19 January 2022 and 30 March 2022, and collected data from 220 countries.

Of the 220 examined, Exhibit 1 lists the Caribbean/CARICOM (Caribbean Community) countries that were included.

The previous review of fixed broadband internet rates was conducted in late 2019 and early 2020. In addition to presenting the new findings, we will compare some of the 2022 results with those recorded in 2020.

Methodology

Similar to previous iterations of the exercise, the data collected was presented in the four key ways:

1. the average cost of a broadband plan per month
2. the cost of the cheapest plan in each country per month
3. the most expensive plan available, and
4. the cost of 1 Megabit per second (Mbps) of bandwidth for one month.

The Cable provides a detail account of the methodology employed, however, outlined below are some of the key points:

• All prices gathered were for fixed-line broadband plans that were delivered either ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) or some form of fibre
• Only consumer/domestic broadband plans were included. Business/enterprise broadband deals were excluded
• The prices of the broadband plans were recorded in their advertised currency, then converted to US Dollars (USD) in order to form a basis for comparison.
• In order to determine the average cost of a fixed broadband plan for each country, the median prices of all plans recorded is used, and that price included any upfront or ongoing monthly costs
• In order to determine the average cost of fixed-line broadband (per megabit per month, the cost per megabit for each plan was calculated by dividing the cost by the speed offered in megabits per second. Then the median cost was determined.

Results:  Average price of a broadband internet plan per month

Across the Caribbean countries surveyed, there is a wide variance in the average price of a broadband internet plans, as shown in Exhibit 2. The lowest average price was recorded in Cuba, at USD 21.68, whilst the highest was recorded in the British Virgin Islands, at USD 184.00. Across the region, the median price was USD 62.58.

It should be noted that Cuba, which is new addition to this year’s exercise, was ranked 46th out of the 220 countries sampled, whilst the British Virgin Islands was ranked 217th, a drop of 18 places, as it was ranked 199th in 2020. The top 10 countries globally were:

1. Syria (USD 2.15)
2. Sudan (USD 4.80)
3. Belarus (USD 7.39)
4. Ukraine (USD 7.40)
5. Russian Federation (USD 8.07)
6. Moldova (USD 8.21)
7. Mongolia (USD 8.80)
8. Romania (USD 9.00)
9. Turkey (USD 9.32)
10. Kazakhstan (USD 9.46)

Results:  Price of the cheapest and most expensive plan in each country per month

In comparing the cheapest and most expensive broadband Internet plans, which is presented in Exhibit 3, it is readily evident that there is a wide disparity in the rates in most countries and across the Caribbean region. It should be noted that in the case of Suriname, the most expensive plan has been omitted from the graph, as is five time more expensive than the second most expensive plan (at USD 2,806.95!) and so unduly skews the graph.

The greatest variation in fixed broadband Internet prices were recorded in the Suriname (USD 2,795.93), the Cayman Islands (USD 397.39), Haiti and the British Virgin Islands (USD 389.19 and USD 389.00, respectively). On the other hand, the smallest variation in prices were recorded in Saint Martin and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (USD 0.00), Martinique (USD 9.91), and Guadeloupe (USD 16.69).

Results:  Average price of 1 Mbps of bandwidth for one month

The average price per Mbps may be the most insightful of all of the assessments conducted, as it allows for more precise comparison of fixed-line broadband rates across the countries examined. In the Caribbean region, and as reflected in Exhibit 4, the lowest average price per Mbps was recorded in Saint Martin, at USD 0.04 per Mbps, which was followed by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (USD 0.18 per Mbps), Saint Barthélemy (USD 0.20 per Mbps) and Barbados (USD 0.35 per Mbps).

At the other end of the spectrum, the highest average price for fixed-line broadband Internet was recorded in Cuba, at USD 14.36. Following Cuba with a relatively high average prices per Mbps were: Sint Maarten (USD 6.29); Haiti (USD 4.89); and Suriname (USD 3.91).

Some thoughts on the findings

The findings published by The Cable on broadband internet plans is always welcomed, as increasingly, it has become a challenge to collate the requisite data, as it is not always published online or publicly available. However, details of the plans, such as advertised transmission speeds and other features of the plans are not included by The Cable, and so the types of comparisons that can be made is limited.

Having said this, and to get sense of how prices have changed since 2020, it can be instructive to examine the average price per Mbps, the results of which is shown in Exhibit 5.

Of the 31 Caribbean countries included, 25 recorded a decrease in their average price per Mbps, which ranged between 1.2% in Grenada, to 97.3% in Montserrat. Dominica did not record an change in its average per Mbps price, whilst in increasing order, Aruba (8.1%), Martinique (19.7%), the United States Virgin Islands (39.7%) and Suriname (293.8%), all recorded an increase in their average per Mbps price.

In summary, and although most Caribbean countries experienced a decrease in their average price per Mbps, the price of fixed-line broadband internet plans in the region are still high when compared globally. With the exception of Cuba, no other Caribbean country was in the top 50 worldwide, and only five, were ranked in the top 100 – Cuba (46th), Grenada (84th), Jamaica (86th), the Dominican Republic (96th), and Guyana (99th) – which arguably is surprising, as it would have been expected that more Caribbean countries should have been in top half of the listing.

Image credit: Freepik