Who’s Online - and Who’s Not? Mapping Pacific Connectivity
Over the last two decades, Internet access has expanded significantly in the Pacific Islands—but not evenly. While some nations like New Caledonia and French Polynesia now boast penetration rates above 75%, others still struggle with fewer than 15% of residents are online. The takeaway is clear: despite progress, a substantial portion of the region remains disconnected from the digital world.
Techonology usage
Diving into more techonology usage indicators
Drilling down, we compare four key technologies - mobile phones, software, email and internet usage - across each island. A segmented bar chart shows not only inter-island differences, but also gender gaps: in several nations, men lead women by 10–20 percentage points in technology use. These disparities highlight that digital inclusion must address both geographic and demographic divides.
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While mobile usage seems fairly equal among the male and female, suprisingly in Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands - more women are using the internet than men.
🚢 Transport & Connectivity Infrastructure
Digital signals don’t travel on their own: they follow roads, ports and airstrips. Here you can filter among three physical-infrastructure metrics - percent unpaved roads, unpaved airport runways and a maritime connectivity index - and view a bubble chart positioning each island according to its score. Islands with poor transport networks often mirror low digital uptake, underscoring the interdependence of physical and digital infrastructure.
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Infrastructure vs. Economic Performance
Finally, we explore how infrastructure correlates with economic well-being. A scatterplot charts GDP per capita (PPP) against internet penetration. The pattern is consistent: islands with weaker infrastructure generally record lower GDP per capita. While this doesn’t prove causation, it highlights where targeted investments in both digital and physical networks could yield outsized economic benefits.
Data Source: Internet Connectivity data is from the Pacific Data Hub. GDP per Capita (PPP) is from the World Bank.
Final thoughts
The insights here make it clear that closing the connectivity gaps in the Pacific Islands isn’t just a technical challenge - it’s an economic imperative. Expanding reliable Internet access, alongside upgrading roads, ports and runways, can unlock new opportunities in education, healthcare and commerce. Although the relationship between infrastructure and GDP remains correlational, targeting under-served islands with coordinated digital and physical investments offers the strongest path toward sustained, inclusive growth. By prioritizing both networks - and ensuring that no community is left offline -policymakers and development partners can turn connectivity into a powerful catalyst for prosperity across the region.
Data and Method
The data is sourced from the Pacific Data Hub. GDP per Capita (PPP) data is from the World Bank.
This Data Story was made by Yaron Shemesh using the data storytelling platform Simpler Story.
This project was made for the 2025 Pacific Data Challenge.
