--- canonical_url: "https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-17/what-explains-the-ict-diffusion-gap-between-the-major-advanced-countries-an-empirical-analysis/" title: "What Explains the ICT Diffusion Gap Between the Major Advanced Countries? An Empirical Analysis" author: name: "CSLS" url: "https://csls.ca/author/cslc/" date_published: "2026-07-13T07:31:34+00:00" date_modified: "2026-07-13T07:31:34+00:00" post_type: "ipm" summary: "" ipm_issue_period: - "Fall 2008" ipm_keyword: - "Banque de France" - "Europe" - "France" - "higher education" - "ICT diffusion" - "labour market regulation" - "OECD" - "product market regulation" - "United States" ipm_research_theme: - "Technology and innovation" ipm_country_focus: - "Europe" - "France" - "OECD" - "United States" featured_image: "https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/IPM_50_banner.webp" status: "publish" --- # What Explains the ICT Diffusion Gap Between the Major Advanced Countries? An Empirical Analysis Canonical URL: https://csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-17/what-explains-the-ict-diffusion-gap-between-the-major-advanced-countries-an-empirical-analysis/ # What Explains the ICT Diffusion Gap Between the Major Advanced Countries? An Empirical Analysis [Download full PDF article](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-17-3-Cette-Lopez.pdf) Cite this article × Cite this article as: Cette, Gilbert, and Jimmy Lopez. 2008. “What Explains the ICT Diffusion Gap Between the Major Advanced Countries? An Empirical Analysis.” International Productivity Monitor, No. 17 (Fall 2008): 28–39. https://www.csls.ca/ipm-archive/ipm-issue-17/what-explains-the-ict-diffusion-gap-between-the-major-advanced-countries-an-empirical-analysis/ ## Authors: - Gilbert Cette Banque de France; University of Aix-Marseille II (CEDERS); INSEE-CREST; University of Aix-Marseille II (CEDERS) - Jimmy Lopez Université de la Méditerranée ## IPM Issue 17 Fall 2008 pp. 28–39 ## Related IPM articles [Is the SNA Still Useful? 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This study aims to explain empirically this gap. Annual macroeconomic panel data are used for the period 1981-2005 and cover eleven OECD countries: Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. The estimates obtained provide insight into the factors determining ICT diffusion and the gaps in this diffusion visà-vis the United-States. Compared to the United States, the lower ICT diffusion in the other major advanced countries can be explained by a smaller share of the population with a higher education and/or a higher level of rigidity in labour and product markets. IN RECENT YEARS , A LARGE BODY of literature Au cours des dernières années, un imposant corpus de littérature a montré que le niveau de diffusion des technologies de l’information et des communications (TIC), et par conséquent les effets favorables de cette diffusion sur la productivité, diffèrent considérablement entre les grands pays avancés, les États-Unis étant le pays où la diffusion des TIC est la plus forte. Cette étude vise à expliquer empiriquement cet écart. Des données de panel macroéconomiques annuelles sont utilisées pour la période 1981-2005 et couvrent onze pays de l’OCDE. Les estimations obtenues donnent un aperçu des facteurs déterminants de la diffusion des TIC et des écarts dans cette diffusion par rapport aux États-Unis. Par rapport aux États-Unis, la plus faible diffusion des TIC dans les autres grands pays avancés peut s’expliquer par une part plus faible de la population ayant un enseignement supérieur et/ou un niveau plus élevé de rigidité des marchés du travail et des produits. [Download full PDF](https://csls.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/IPM-Issue-17-3-Cette-Lopez.pdf)