Firms’ Digitalization during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Tale of Two Stories

Edgar Itamar Avalos Almanza, Xavier Cirera, Marcio Cruz, Leonardo Iacovone, Denis Medvedev, Gaurav Nayyar and Santiago Reyes Ortega

No 10284, Policy Research Working Paper Series from The World Bank

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of businesses. Using a unique global panel dataset, this paper documents the patterns of digital adoption during the pandemic across firms in 57 (mostly developing) countries. The data show the tale of two stories. On one hand, the pandemic drove firms to increase the use of digital platforms and invest in digital solutions. On the other hand, there is evidence that the digital divide increased. There remain substantial gaps between small and large firms as well as across sectors, particularly for new investments in digital solutions. Firms that did not use any digital platform or channel before the pandemic, also lagged in their response to the pandemic, increasing the gap with those that were more digitally ready. Moreover, although the share of online sales across firms for all size groups increased, there is a growing concentration of online sales among top firms. The paper discusses some of the factors associated with this increase in the digital divide and find that changes in digitalization remain even after mobility restrictions have eased. The analysis suggests that the pandemic has accelerated digitalization, but some firms disproportionately benefited from the digital transformation, potentially increasing the digital divide.

Date: 2023-01-25
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Journal Article: Firms’ digitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic: a tale of two stories (2025)
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