AI-related job vacancies have increased ninefold worldwide since 2021, with middle-income countries now accounting for one in five of the new roles created, according to the World Bank.

The trend signals a growing shift in how artificial intelligence is reshaping global labour markets beyond traditional advanced economies.

The data is contained in the World Bank’s Digital Progress and Trends Report 2025: Strengthening AI Foundations. The report notes that although high-income countries continue to dominate AI innovation, investment and capital flows, emerging economies are increasingly playing an active role in the expanding AI workforce, largely driven by the rapid uptake of generative AI technologies.

Consumer adoption of generative AI has grown significantly in middle-income economies. The report revealed that more than 40 per cent of global ChatGPT traffic now originates from countries such as Brazil, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. This rising usage, the World Bank said, is directly translating into increased demand for AI-related skills and job opportunities in these markets.

The World Bank estimates that one in five generative AI job postings globally is now located in middle-income economies, representing a sharp increase compared to just a few years ago.

Despite the growth, the report warned that progress could slow without deliberate investments in digital infrastructure and skills development.

Structural imbalances remain deeply entrenched in the global AI economy. High-income countries, which are home to only 17 per cent of the world’s population, still host 87 per cent of notable AI models, 86 per cent of AI start-ups and attract 91 per cent of global AI venture capital.

To help developing economies convert growing AI adoption into long-term employment and economic growth, the World Bank outlined what it described as the Four Cs of AI readiness: Connectivity, Compute, Context and Competency.

Connectivity remains a major challenge. While 93 per cent of people in high-income countries have internet access, only 54 per cent of people in lower-middle-income countries and 27 per cent in low-income countries are connected, limiting participation in cloud-based AI platforms, remote employment opportunities and online learning.

Compute capacity also poses a significant constraint. Middle- and low-income countries together account for just 23 per cent of global data centre capacity, compared with 77 per cent in high-income economies. This imbalance restricts the ability of firms in developing countries to build, train and deploy AI systems at scale.

Beyond infrastructure, the World Bank emphasised the importance of context, particularly access to local data, languages and culturally relevant content. Most existing AI models are trained largely on English-language text, which reduces their effectiveness in many local environments. However, the emergence of new data formats such as audio and video is creating opportunities for emerging economies to develop AI tools tailored to domestic needs in sectors including healthcare, agriculture, finance and education.

Human capital was identified as the most critical gap. The report said fewer than five per cent of people in low-income countries possess basic digital literacy skills, compared with 66 per cent in high-income nations. Without sustained investment in digital skills, AI literacy and advanced technical training, the report warned that AI adoption could expand without delivering broad-based employment benefits.

The World Bank also highlighted the growing use of affordable and lightweight small AI applications as a potential equaliser. These tools, which can operate on everyday devices without heavy data centre infrastructure, are already being deployed to analyse health data, support small businesses and improve service delivery in developing economies.

“The Four Cs provide a roadmap for countries seeking to unlock AI’s transformative potential. Targeted investment in connectivity, compute, context and competency will allow developing nations to participate meaningfully in the global AI economy, create jobs and drive sustainable development,” the World Bank said.

While the ninefold rise in AI job vacancies underscores the scale of opportunity, the World Bank cautioned that the window for catching up may be limited.

The report warned that without sustained policy focus on infrastructure development, skills training and locally relevant AI applications, developing countries risk remaining consumers of AI technologies rather than producers of the next generation of digital innovation.