Measuring the information economy

Permanent URL of this page:
www.oecd.org/sti/measuring-infoeconomy

 

The focus of the work on measuring and analysing the information society is to examine and better understand the economic impact of information and communication technologies and applications such as e-commerce on OECD economies.


Latest news


Final ICTNET Conference on the Economic Impact of ICT: Policy Drivers and Economic Evidence
from 25-Jun-2012 to 26-Jun-2012
This conference, to be held at the OECD in Paris, aims to provide policy makers with evidence and tools to measure the economic impact of ICTs, assess the effectiveness of their current policies, and feed into the ICT policy agenda for the years to come.

Measuring the 'Broadband Bonus' in 30 OECD Countries 
23-Apr-2012
This paper provides estimates of the economic value created by broadband Internet using measures of new gross domestic product and consumer surplus. It finds that the economic value created in 30 OECD countries correlates roughly with the overall size of their broadband economies. In addition, price and quality data from the United States suggest that widespread adoption of broadband Internet has occurred without a dramatic decline in prices, which reflects an unobserved increase in broadband quality that conventional government statistics do not capture.

Measuring the Impact of Innovations in Public IT Infrastructure on the Standard of Living in OECD Economies
19-Apr-2012
This paper utilises an economic model that looks at the end result – observations on changes in the pattern of consumer spending behaviour – and econometrically estimates the extent of the link between these behavioural changes and their drivers: traditional economic stimuli as well as changes in the economic environment due to advances in technology and improved provision of public sector IT infrastructure.

Information and Communication Technologies and Productivity Growth: A Survey of the Literature
16-Apr-2012
The wealth of nations and their economic fortunes are ultimately driven by productivity. More productive workers earn higher wages and experience higher living standards than past generations. Hence, studying the driving forces behind productivity growth is an important question for researchers and policymakers alike. This paper presents a review of existing studies on dynamic, macroeconomic effects of ICT on productivity and growth.

Measuring the Internet: The Data Challenge
13-Apr-2012
Measuring the economic and social impacts of the Internet presents several challenges. This working paper reviews the rapidly changing nature of the Internet, the need for more granular data in order to understand its complexity, and the phenomenon of big data, which makes it possible to measure almost anything.

Digital Divide: From Computer Access to Online Activities – A Micro Data Analysis
22-Dec-2011
This study addresses digital divide issues among households and individuals by using micro-data analysis of ICT usage patterns. The analysis includes data from 18 European countries, Korea and Canada. Inequalities in computer and Internet use are analysed in a two-step approach. First, the paper tries to better quantify and understand the factors that separate the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. Second, it tries to explain observed differences in the frequency and type of Internet use as a result of the socio-economic characteristics of households and individuals.

OECD Guide to Measuring the Information Society 2011
05-Aug-2011
This guide provides the statistical definitions, classifications and methods to measure and compare the information society across countries. It provides a standard reference for statisticians, analysts and policy-makers in the field. In particular, the guide should assist countries that want to start or develop new statistical programmes to measure the information society.

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