Which countries are moving the fastest toward digital readiness? This is what the Digital Evolution Index, created by MasterCard Global Insights and The Fletcher School at Tufts University, tries to quantify. It maps the digital trajectories of 50 countries:

• Stand Out countries have shown high levels of digital development in the past and continue to remain on an upward trajectory.
• Stall Out countries have achieved a high level of evolution in the past but are losing momentum and risk falling behind.
• Break Out countries have the potential to develop strong digital economies. Though their overall score is still low, they are moving upward and are poised to become Stand Out countries in the future.
• Watch Out countries face significant opportunities and challenges, with low scores on both current level and upward motion of their DEI. Some may be able to overcome limitations with clever innovations and stopgap measures, while others seem to be stuck.

In spite of their high scores in 2013, most parts of Northern and Western Europe are losing momentum. Despite its role in the global financial crisis, the United States has managed to keep its head above water, while Singapore, South Korea and Hong Kong have been consistently pushing the frontiers of digital readiness. Almost half of the Index’s population lives in Break Out countries.