ISLAMABAD: Around 16 million Pakistani citizens went online for first time between 2012-2015 which was almost 47 per cent of overall Internet users in the country.
People in Pakistan have been utilizing Internet more than before and now the country has become one of the top 10 economies using Internet.
A recently published report has revealed that Iran ranked 7th, Bangladesh 10th while Pakistan came at 9th position. United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) produces an annual report titled "The Information Economy Report" which highlights Internet economy of world.
The introduction of 3G/4G and more people using smartphones was one of the main factors which led to this outcome.
E-commerce and other digital applications are being accepted and incorporated into businesses and homes alike.
Websites such as Daraz, Aliexpress, and Kaymu have contributed a lot to Internet usage of Pakistani people and are being used widely.
Almost every Pakistani knows about these websites. Ride- hailing companies such as Careem and Uber have encouraged Pakistanis to go online and utilize the Internet.
According to statistics, almost 73% of smartphones users in Pakistan have some sort of ride-hailing app installed.
The report revealed that more than half of the world's population is still off-line but in some countries, the number of people going online is increasing.
The report suggested that efforts should be made by respective governments to encourage Internet usage so that "no-one is left behind as a result of digitalization."