First worldwide measure of digital natives puts U.S. near the top

More than 13 percent of the United States’ population are digital natives, which ranks sixth in the world, according to a United Nations report measuring information and communication technology development across countries.

This was the first time a model has been created to estimate the size of digital natives by the International Telecommunication Union, a specialized agency of the UN.
To qualify as a digital native, one is between the ages of 15-24 and has at least five years of internet experience. There are 363 million people in the world who fall into the category which translates into more than five percent of the world population.

In North America, Canada and Mexico come in at 11.9 and 7.8 percent, respectively. Iceland has the highest percentage of digital natives, as 13.9 percent of the country’s population fall into the category while Timor-Leste, an island in southeast Asia, has the smallest percentage of digital natives at 0.1 percent.

The Top Ten Digital Native Countries By Percent of Total Population

1. Iceland, 45,495, 13.9%
2. New Zealand, 606,040, 13.6%
3. Korea (Rep.), 6,552,589, 13.5%
4. Malaysia, 3914573, 13.4%
5. Lithuania, 436,045, 13.2%
6. United States, 41,322,288, 13.1%
7. Barbados, 35,830, 13.1%
8. Slovakia, 696,917, 12.7%
9. Latvia, 275,036, 12.3%
10. Denmark, 685,624, 12.3%