Digital Skills Gap in Developing Countries: The Case of Myanmar

The rapid advancements in AI have transformed industries, increasing productivity. However, they have also widened the gap between developed and developing countries, necessitating digital skills to bridge the divide and ensure equal access to opportunities. This research examines the distribution of digital skills of the daily internet users in Myanmar, revealing that participants demonstrated Intermediate level of digital skills in various areas, with lower scores in communication, collaboration, and digital content creation. Age, education, and gender weakly correlate with digital skills. Older individuals have slightly lower proficiency, while high school graduates score lower on average but perform well in information/data literacy and digital content creation. Males score higher in data literacy, problem-solving, and digital safety, while females excel in digital content creation, showcasing their creativity. On the other hand, digital access, particularly Wi-Fi availability at home, and financial capability, strongly correlated with higher scores. Addressing these disparities requires prioritizing access to digital resources and implementing educational initiatives for marginalized groups, focusing on digital content creation and communication skills.