Where Freedom Matters

The goal of this study was to explore inter-country differences in Internet connectivity among the formerly socialist countries of Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union and Mongolia. Of particular interest was investigating if, in a region where per capita income and infrastructure differences are not extreme, other factors would become the dominant determinants. The results of the multivariate analysis show that the openness of society and cultural factors, using religion as a proxy, play critical roles. Countries with higher levels of civil liberties and those with Christian majority populations tend to have higher Internet connectivity.