有人预测,信息产业将成为21世纪全球的主导产业。经济社会的信息化水平是度量一个国家和地区综合实力与竞争力的重要标准。国家统计局国际统计信息中心完成的一项重大研究课题《中国各地区信息化水平测算与比较研究》,对我国东中西部各省区市的信息化发展水平进行了定量测评。根据测评结果加工整理,我们对西部地区的信息化水平、发展速度及与东部地区的差距进行了对比分析。 总体上来看,西部地区由于社会生产力发展水平比较低,经济文化科学技术相对落后,因而整个社会信息化发达程度比较低。1998年西部地区信息化指数平均分值仅为22.28,而同期东部地区的信息化指数平均分值为42.22,西部地区仅相当于东部地区的52.8％。在全国各地区信息化水平测评结果中,西部地区12个省区市中就有8个排在20位 Some people predict that the information industry will become the world’s leading industry in the 21st century. The level of informatization in economy and society is an important criterion for measuring the overall strength and competitiveness of a country and region. A major research project completed by the International Statistical Information Center of the National Bureau of Statistics, “Measurement and Comparison of Information Level in Various Regions of China,” conducted a quantitative assessment of the level of informatization development in all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the eastern, central and western regions of China. According to the results of the processing and finishing, we have made a comparative analysis of the level of informationization in the western region, the pace of development and the gap with the eastern region. Generally speaking, due to the relatively low level of social productivity development in the western region and the relatively backward economy, culture and science and technology, the developed degree of informationization in the entire society is relatively low. In 1998, the average score of the informationization index in the western region was only 22.28, while that of the eastern region in the same period was 42.22 and that in the western region was only 52.8% of that in the eastern region. In all regions of the country level of information evaluation results, the western region 12 provinces and autonomous regions have 8 in 20