Quantifying the Data Deluge and the Data Drought

This paper investigates how the world’s Big Data capacity can be understood in terms of the world’s storage capacity and the telecommunication capacity to access this storage (‘the cloud’). This paper follows the methodology of what has become the standard reference in estimating the world’s technological information capacity: Hilbert and López (2011).

Topics

Just Digital Transformations

Author(s)

Author(s): 
Martin Hilbert

Partner Organization(s)

Data-Pop Alliance, World Bank Group (Funder)

Share

Recommendations

cover-Mobile data for humanitarian action
Mobile Data for Humanitarian Action: Pathways to Sustained and Responsible Use
Screenshot 2026-04-14 at 9.41
Mali Gender Profile 2024
Social Media Post 2
Towards Caring Cities: a Geospatial Analysis in Viet Nam
Cover English
Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Against Women in Politics in Brazil
Cover Portugues
Violência de Gênero Facilitada pela Tecnologia contra Mulheres na Política no Brasil
1
Study on the Future Drivers of Sustainable and Inclusive Development in Liberia
Nepal
Towards Caring Cities: A Geospatial Analysis in Nepal
HumanDev
Making Human Measurement Matter for Human Development: Towards a Theory of Change for the Data Revolution
FosCover
Recommendations Report: Increasing and Strengthening the Availability of Digital Sexual and Reproductive Health Services with Youth-Friendly Approaches
[P124] cover Bangladesh_Report
Towards Caring Cities: A Geospatial Analysis in Dhaka City