Last November 2025, the Global Knowledge Index (GKI) was published, of which I have been a part of the advisory committee since 2021. This publication seeks to establish a comprehensive framework, developed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF), to assess countries’ capacity to generate, absorb, and apply knowledge for sustainable development. The 2025 edition evaluated 195 countries.
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) occupy a central position within this framework, functioning both as enablers of knowledge creation and as outcomes of knowledge-based development. The ICT sub-index specifically conceptualizes technology as a core mechanism through which knowledge is generated, disseminated, and transformed into economic and social value.
The sub-index is structured around three interrelated pillars:
- Connectivity (which measures digital infrastructure and network access),
- Enablers (which assess affordability and digital skills), and
- Impact (which evaluates the use of digital services and the economic outcomes of ICTs).
When applied to Mexico, which ranks 95th globally in the ICT sub-index, this framework reveals that ICTs primarily function as a platform for accessing and disseminating knowledge rather than as a strong driver of advanced digital knowledge production. This uneven role has important implications for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) by 2030, which seeks to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
In particular, SDG 4 emphasizes the integration of technology to improve learning outcomes, expand access to information, and develop skills relevant to the modern economy—objectives that require not only basic connectivity but also sophisticated digital infrastructure, comprehensive digital literacy, and robust innovation ecosystems.
The Connectivity pillar highlights the digital infrastructure that enables information flow, including mobile networks, broadband systems, data centers, and Internet exchange points. These elements support SDG 4 by facilitating access to online educational resources, distance learning platforms, and global knowledge networks.
Mexico demonstrates relative strength in mobile network coverage, with 4G/5G availability ranking 62nd globally, enabling widespread access to digital information. However, weaker performance in high-capacity infrastructure, such as data centers (89th) and IXP traffic (104th), may constrain the country’s capacity to support large-scale digital learning environments, cloud-based research platforms, and advanced educational technologies.
As a result, while basic connectivity supports SDG 4’s goal of expanding access to education, insufficient high-capacity infrastructure limits the quality and sophistication of digital learning systems that could be implemented on scale.
The Enablers pillar further illustrates the relationship between ICTs and SDG 4 by focusing on affordability and digital skills. Affordable broadband in Mexico reduces economic barriers to accessing online educational content, aligning with SDG 4’s objective of inclusive learning opportunities. Mexico’s fixed broadband basket ranks 67th, and its mobile data-only broadband basket ranks 88th.
However, significant gaps emerge in digital competencies when examining skills indicators. Computer use among individuals ranks 91st; tertiary graduates from ICT programs rank 117th; and employment in information and communications ranks 120th. These positions reveal fundamental weaknesses in both basic digital literacy and advanced technical capabilities.
Such deficiencies undermine SDG 4’s emphasis on equipping learners with technical and vocational skills relevant to employment in knowledge-based economies. Without strong foundational and advanced digital skills, technology cannot effectively enhance learning quality or support lifelong learning pathways across Mexico’s population.
The Impact pillar shows that ICTs in Mexico play a role in knowledge dissemination but reveal limited capacity for knowledge generation. Internet usage ranks 97th globally. Engagement with knowledge-focused platforms shows mixed results: LinkedIn usage ranks 61st, while visits to Wikimedia pages rank 84th.
More concerning is Mexico’s poor performance in ICT-related innovation and economic outcomes. Exports of computer and information services rank 123rd, ICT-related PCT patent publications rank 108th, and value added in information and communications ranks 135th. This disconnect indicates a severely limited translation of educational and technological investments into innovation outputs.
The implications of this pattern are evident throughout Mexico’s education system. At the pre-university level, the GKI framework conceptualizes technology as a fundamental learning resource, measured by school access to computers. This aligns with SDG 4’s focus on improving learning environments and promoting digital literacy from an early age. However, Mexico’s rankings reveal marked disparities between primary schools (118th) and secondary schools (106th).
This gap indicates that many students lack early exposure to digital tools during critical developmental years, limiting interactive learning, online research, and the development of foundational skills.
These deficiencies extend to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and higher education. Mexico’s overall TVET and higher education sub-index ranks 52nd. While Mexico performs exceptionally well in the Learning Environment pillar, ranking 9th globally, it shows weaknesses in Access and Provision (64th) and Outcomes (66th).
Within outcomes, research weaknesses are particularly evident. The Impact sub-pillar ranks 104th; publications in natural and health sciences rank 106th; and university–industry collaboration in research and development ranks 87th. These data reveal that despite strong institutional learning environments, technology is not being effectively leveraged to generate advanced knowledge and innovation.
SDG 4 emphasizes not only access to education but also the development of skills relevant to employment, innovation, and sustainable development. The limited use of ICTs for high-impact research and applied technological learning highlights a misalignment between educational structures and the transformative ambitions of SDG 4.
The GKI 2025 framework demonstrates that ICTs in Mexico contribute to SDG 4 by expanding basic access to information, supporting institutional learning environments, and facilitating knowledge dissemination through digital platforms. Mexico’s overall ICT sub-index ranking is 95th, with better performance in Connectivity (83rd) and significant weakness in Impact (114th).
However, persistent shortcomings in high-capacity digital infrastructure, comprehensive digital skills development, and innovation outcomes substantially constrain technology’s capacity to enhance educational quality and promote holistic lifelong learning.
While Mexico has made progress in integrating ICTs to support basic access to education and information, the transformative potential of technology remains underutilized. To advance toward SDG 4’s vision of inclusive, high-quality, and future-oriented education, Mexico must strengthen digital infrastructure in primary and secondary schools, expand ICT training, and align higher education with technological innovation and applied research.
