Data: The Fuel of the Future

Structure of the Report

Following this overview chapter, with its focus on government use of data and presentation of definitions, Part I of the report look s at the "supply side" of the data sector.

  • Chapter 2 looks at data connectivity and capacity, considering where data comes from, how it is stored, and where it goes. Specifically, the chapter looks at the technological drivers that make data ever cheaper to collect, store, and transmit, and the relationship between data and economic growth.

  • Chapter 3 examines data technology, specifically big data analytics and artificial intelligence, and how this is contributing to development, especially in humanitarian interventions. The enthusiasm for the uses of these new tools is tempered by awareness of the ethical issues.


Part II looks at the "demand side" of the data sector:

  • Chapter 4 looks at people's use of data and asks whether scope exists for a new model for a data market in which individuals may be able to trade access to their personal data. The underlying principle is that the data itself has no value, but the use of it has. The chapter goes on to examine the potential costs of a data market in possible losses of privacy, control, and agency

  • Chapter 5 examines how firms use digital platforms in the data economy, and how that contributes to competitiveness, particularly for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The chapter details several developing-country platforms and emerging business models, and concludes by considering how SMEs in developing countries can make better use of data to improve competitiveness and thereby compete against the dominant international social media companies.


Part III of the report brings together the policy implications for developing country stakeholders:

  • Chapter 6 discusses the policy issues surrounding the use of data, notably over privacy, data localization, and security issues. The chapter also considers the value of digital ID systems, which many countries have adopted in recent years, though some have specifically rejected them. Finally, the chapter returns to the themes of open data and big data and offers recommendations.

The Data Notes appendix to the report looks at statistical indicators associated with the use of data. It also presents the 2018 update of the Digital Adoption Index (DAI), a composite indicator first introduced in the 2016 World Development Report: Digital Dividends. The DAI is an analytical tool that compares the relative adoption of digital technologies by governments, people, and firms within a country.