Weak digital infrastructure is exposing several countries to the risk of widespread disruption to essential services, including banking, healthcare, border control and government operations, in the event of a major internet outage, a new study by data infrastructure provider TRG Datacentres has found.

The July 2026 report evaluated nearly 100 countries with populations of more than one million and internet penetration rates of at least 70 per cent, ranking them based on the resilience of their digital infrastructure.

“When a country’s digital backbone goes down, its hospitals are unable to pull up patient charts, banks are frozen mid-transaction, and border crossings can’t check passports. Entire supply chains run on the internet now, so one bad outage can stall deliveries, paychecks, and government services all at once,” the report stated.

The analysis combined data on submarine cable availability, internet exchange points, cybersecurity readiness and electricity access to generate a vulnerability score ranging from 0 to 100. Higher scores indicate a greater risk of disruption in the event of a digital infrastructure breakdown.

Libya was ranked the world’s most vulnerable country, recording a perfect vulnerability score of 100 despite having six submarine cables. The study attributed the high risk to the country’s weak electricity infrastructure, which reaches just 73.2 per cent of the population, and its dependence on a single internet exchange point, leaving millions exposed to disruption if critical infrastructure fails.

The report noted that about 82 per cent of Libya’s population uses the internet, meaning a major outage could disrupt businesses, financial institutions and public services nationwide.

Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked second, recording a vulnerability score of 97.2. Unlike Libya, the country has no submarine cables of its own and relies on neighbouring countries to carry all of its international internet traffic. Although electricity access is universal, Bosnia recorded one of the lowest cybersecurity scores in the study, at 33.6 out of 100, increasing its exposure to cyberattacks and network disruptions.

The West Bank and Gaza ranked third with a vulnerability score of 92.6, reflecting the absence of submarine cables and reliance on just two internet exchange points, despite more than 86 per cent of the population having internet access.

Bolivia ranked fourth with a vulnerability score of 90.1, while Armenia completed the top five with 84.4. Both countries have no submarine cables and rely on just two internet exchange points, leaving them with limited alternatives if critical internet routes are disrupted.

Other countries in the top 10 were Belarus, Lebanon, Mongolia, North Macedonia and Moldova.

The study found that landlocked countries face particularly high risks because they cannot host submarine cable landing stations and are therefore heavily dependent on neighbouring countries for international internet connectivity.

The study found that landlocked countries face particularly high risks because they cannot host submarine cable landing stations, leaving them heavily dependent on neighbouring countries for international internet connectivity.

Internet exchange points, which allow traffic to be exchanged locally instead of being routed through foreign networks, also emerged as a key factor in digital resilience. Countries with only one or two exchange points face a higher risk of nationwide outages if the facilities experience technical failures, cyberattacks or power disruptions.

TRG Datacentres said the consequences of failures in digital infrastructure extend far beyond slower internet speeds or temporary inconvenience.

The report underscored the growing importance of resilient digital infrastructure as governments and businesses become increasingly dependent on online systems for financial transactions, healthcare delivery, logistics, education and public administration.