A review of literature on information poverty

The Data Poverty Index (DPI) highlights the prevalence of information poverty in low-income countries and the resulting global information inequality, with high-income countries enjoying greater access to information. This study examines academic responses to this issue by analyzing 48 publications on information poverty from 2000 to 2022. The analysis reveals a notable lack of attention to information poverty in the Global South, where it is a growing concern, with most publications originating from and focusing on the Global North. This suggests a politics of knowledge, as evidenced by the dominance of Global North authors and sources in the literature. While the publications cover topics such as information literacy and the digital divide, a few address broader issues such as social justice, rural areas, information rights, access to information, social exclusion, information management, information processing, socioeconomic factors, poverty, and health services, which are all interconnected with information poverty.