The UK has climbed to second place in AI development in Surfshark's 2026 Digital Quality of Life Index, overtaken only by the United States. The eighth edition of the index, published today, covers 121 countries across five pillars: internet affordability, internet quality, digital infrastructure, digital security, and AI.
The overall picture for the UK is one of high capability and patchy protection. In AI development, the UK ranks 2nd, up from 4th in 2025, and outperforms France (3rd) and Germany (4th). In digital security, however, the UK ranks 28th globally, slightly worse than its 27th-place ranking in 2025. It places 16th overall, up from 19th.
Mobile internet quality is a persistent weakness. The UK's mobile speeds average 129Mbps, which is 12% below the global average of 147Mbps and 27% below the European average of 178Mbps. Its fixed internet, at 269Mbps, is 38% above the global average but still behind the world's fastest, Singapore at 586Mbps.
Finland, Germany and Denmark hold the top three positions in the overall index. Europe accounts for all ten of the top-ranked countries by overall digital quality of life, though it is less dominant in AI development, where the US leads and the UK is the top European country.
For affordability, a UK resident needs to work for about 62 minutes a month to afford fixed internet, compared with under 12 minutes in Bulgaria, the world's most affordable country for fixed broadband.
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