Wealth vs Internet

 Dataset Selected

I have chosen the Gapminder dataset (213 countries with social, health, economic, and environmental indicators).

Research Question

Is income per person associated with internet use across countries?

 

Personal Codebook

Variable Name

Description

Unit

incomeperperson

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita

US dollars per person

internetuserate

Percentage of population using the internet

% of individuals (0–100 scale)

Literature Review

I searched Google Scholar using the terms like wealth vs internet and related terms. I found the below findings.

1.      Chinn & Fairlie (2007) – Using data from 161 nations, they discovered that income per capita is the most important predictor of internet uptake, followed by infrastructure and regulatory quality. This lends credence to the notion that increasing levels of national income are inextricably linked with digital adoption.
IZA Discussion Paper

       World Bank Panel Study (2001–2017) – A more recent study found that higher GDP, power access, and good economic conditions are all significantly associated with increased internet use across countries, continuing the worldwide trend.

        PMC article

        Pew Research Center Report (2010) – Higher-income households in the United States were significantly more likely to access the internet on a daily basis, own numerous devices, and engage in digital activities than lower-income households. While at the home level, this findings is consistent with the worldwide "digital divide."

        Pew Internet Report

Summary of Findings:
Across both global and household studies, income consistently emerges as a key determinant of internet access. High-income households and high-income countries alike show higher rates of internet usage, while lower-income groups lag due to affordability and infrastructure constraints.

 

Hypothesis

Countries with higher income per person will have higher internet usage rates.

 


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