Aussies have been rated among the highest users of mobile phones in the world, with about 88 percent of them having a smartphone.

So claims a report by Ernst and Young (EY) which notes, however, that Australia has fallen in the global rankings for digital readiness.

Australia’s ranking in the World Economic Forum’s Networked Readiness Index has fallen from 16th in 2015 to 18th last year, the report says, below countries like Singapore, Finland, Sweden, Norway, the USA, Netherlands, Switzerland and Britain.

“With 88 per cent of Australians using a smartphone, the expectation is for fast, efficient delivery on a mobile platform,” said Jenny Young, EY’s Oceania, media, entertainment and telecommunications and customer leader.

“Australians want information instantly and expect a truly differentiated and frictionless experience.”

However, the report says that 68 percent of Australians are worried about their privacy and how well organisations manage and protect this – and ultimately how safe the information is.