Impact of Digitalization on Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis of Developed and Developing Economies

Nahed Zghidi () and Riadh Trabelsi
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Nahed Zghidi: Commercial High School of Sfax, University of Sfax, Airport Road Km 4,5, BP 1081, Sfax 3018, Tunisia
Riadh Trabelsi: Faculty of Economics and Management of Sfax, University of Sfax, Airport Road Km 4, BP 1088, Sfax 3018, Tunisia

JRFM, 2025, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-21

Abstract: The role of digitization in promoting Sustainable Development (SD), as a key topic in recent scientific research, remains a subject of debate. In order to investigate this, a panel dataset covering 28 developed and 27 developing countries from 2000 to 2020 was used to assess the impact of the digital economy on SD. The findings show that while digital indicators have varying effects on the Human Development Index (HDI), factors like mobile subscriptions, internet users, and broadband access significantly influence human development, with impacts differing by country’s development level. These results offer nuanced insights for policymakers, highlighting that digital transformation must be supported by adequate infrastructure, institutional quality, and inclusive policies to effectively contribute to sustainable development in developing countries.

Keywords: digitization; sustainable development; human development index; developed and developing countries (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C E F2 F3 G (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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