A recent study by PSONO analyzed over 30 countries worldwide to evaluate how well parents protect their children online. The top 10 countries were ranked based on key metrics that include the strength of parental guidance systems, cyberbullying rate, implementation of online safety education, children’s access to mobile devices, and effectiveness of screen time monitoring systems. The global cybersecurity index was additionally analyzed to measure the overall cybersecurity infrastructure and preparedness of countries. The final rankings were calculated by standardizing and weighting key safety metrics that determine how effectively each country protects its young users.
| Country | Parental Guidance | Cyberbullying Score | Online Safety Education | Mobile Ownership for Children | Composite Score |
| Philippines | 69.4 | 14.5 | 87.1 | 20.6 | 98.7 |
| Colombia | 85.9 | 34.8 | 65.0 | 46.9 | 93.9 |
| Egypt | 96.8 | 79.0 | 86.2 | 17.5 | 92.4 |
| Vietnam | 61.1 | 1.0 | 20.2 | 92.4 | 89.4 |
| Oman | 48.3 | 6.4 | 41.5 | 96.7 | 88.4 |
| India | 98.8 | 85.1 | 68.3 | 56.5 | 85.4 |
| New Zealand | 34.2 | 18.8 | 74.9 | 86.5 | 85.0 |
| Mexico | 74.2 | 39.0 | 47.1 | 19.3 | 81.1 |
| Singapore | 60.5 | 59.3 | 73.4 | 58.4 | 79.3 |
| Turkey | 56.2 | 33.7 | 66.1 | 69.8 | 78.3 |
*See full research here.
The Philippines tops the list of countries where parents are the best at protecting their kids online, having a score of 98. The country’s 87% of parents are actively engaged in online safety education – the highest rate globally. This is supported by limited device ownership for young users at 21% and a low cyberbullying rate of 14%, indicating that preventive measures are working effectively.
Colombia scores 94, ranking second on the list. Parents in Columbia are highly engaged in their kids’ online activities, with 86% actively providing digital guidance. They’ve achieved a good balance, with moderate mobile device access at 47% and strong online safety education at 65%.
Egypt comes third with a composite score of 92. Egyptian parents take a conservative approach to digital access, with only 17% of children having personal mobile devices – the lowest in the study. While the country has a high parental involvement at 97% and strong online safety education at 86%, its high cyberbullying levels indicate a need for more digital safety programs.
Vietnam ranks fourth, scoring 89. The country has the lowest cyberbullying rate worldwide at just 1% – a notable contrast to India and Egypt – despite having one of the highest rates of children’s mobile device access at 92%. Vietnamese parents demonstrate effective digital guidance at 61% and high screen time management at 66%.
Oman rounds out the top 5 countries with parents protecting their children online, scoring 88. Home to 5.1 million people, with children making up 30% of its population, this country stands out for how parents keep their kids’ digital safety. Children in Oman have 97% accessibility to mobile devices, while Omani parents maintain low cyberbullying rates at 6%.
India comes sixth with a composite score of 85.4. India leads in screen time supervision with parents actively managing their children’s digital use. The country ensures 68% of kids receive online safety education while keeping mobile device access at 57%.
New Zealand ranks seventh in protecting children online, with a score of 85.0. While having relatively low parental guidance compared to India and Egypt, New Zealand reports high results through strong online safety education at 75%. The country reports a cyberbullying rate of 19%, indicating moderate challenges in online safety.
Mexico secures eighth place, scoring 81. In a country of 130 million, where children comprise 26% of the population, parents show strong parental guidance at 74%, while maintaining low mobile device access at just 19%. With moderate online safety education and cyberbullying concerns, Mexico demonstrates a cautious approach to digital access.
Singapore comes ninth with a composite score of 79. The city-state demonstrates a balanced approach to digital parenting, having parental guidance at 61% – well below India’s leading 99%. With 58% of children having mobile device access, lower than Oman’s 96%, Singaporean parents maintain high online safety education rates at 73.4%.
Turkey completes the top 10 countries where parents actively protect their kids online, scoring 78. Parents in Turkey show middle results in online protection, with 56% of them actively guiding their children’s digital use. Cyberbullying affects 33% of young users, while screen time monitoring is on a higher level at 56%.
Sascha Pfeiffer, CEO at PSONO, commented on the study: “Parents have a big role in keeping their kids safe online, but education alone isn’t enough. Tools like content filters, parental controls, and secure platforms are essential for managing risks like cyberbullying and phishing. Teaching kids to recognize online threats and modeling good digital habits—like setting strong passwords and limiting screen time—can make a big difference. Governments and tech companies must also simplify cybersecurity tools to empower all parents, ensuring digital safety is accessible to everyone.”