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Emerging-Market Domains: The Security Gap in Fast-Growing ccTLDs (2026)
Published 2026-06-28
Figures as of 2026-06-28 · methodology v7. Aggregate census data, based on national domain endings (ccTLDs), not company registration. “Emerging market” and “developed economy” use documented, conservative country-ending lists; a national ending is a proxy for a country, not proof of where a company is based. See how we grade.
National domains in emerging markets are measurably less protected than those in developed economies — but geography is the weaker half of the story. Across 27 fast-growing-economy endings (23M domains graded), 85.6% score an F. Across 24 developed-economy endings (36M graded), it’s 77.4% — an 8.3-point gap. Real, but small next to the gap within the emerging group, which runs from 62.3% to 99.7% grade-F.
Are emerging-market domains less secure?
On average, yes — slightly. As of 2026-06-28, national endings in fast-growing economies score an F 85.6% of the time, versus 77.4% for developed-economy endings. That 8.3-point gap is consistent, but both numbers describe a population where the overwhelming majority of domains are exposed. Emerging markets are not a security outlier — they sit a little below a low global baseline, not in a different league.
| Group | National endings | Domains graded | Grade-F share | B-or-better share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerging markets | 27 | 23M | 85.6% | 0.40% |
| Developed economies | 24 | 36M | 77.4% | 0.74% |
National (ccTLD) endings only. Lower grade-F share is better. As of 2026-06-28.
The spread inside emerging markets is the real finding
“Emerging market” is not a security category. The best-performing fast-growing-economy ending, Romania (.ro, 62.3% F), is cleaner than most developed-economy endings — including large ones like the United States (87.4% F) and South Korea (95.2% F). At the other end, Philippines (.ph) sits at 99.7% F, effectively a fully exposed population.
A few illustrative emerging endings, as of 2026-06-28:
| National ending | Country | Grade-F share |
|---|---|---|
| .ro | Romania | 62.3% |
| .cl | Chile | 72.3% |
| .ar | Argentina | 72.4% |
| .br | Brazil | 77.0% |
| .mx | Mexico | 75.6% |
| .za | South Africa | 78.4% |
| .in | India | 82.7% |
| .ru | Russia | 93.4% |
| .cn | China | 98.8% |
| .ph | Philippines | 99.7% |
The range from 62.3% to 99.7% inside a single “group” is far larger than the 8.3-point gap between emerging and developed averages. Whatever drives domain security, it isn’t a country’s income bracket.
So what actually drives the gap?
The same forces that separate national from generic domains and decide where domains decay fastest — registry policy and registration intent, not GDP:
- Registry hygiene. Endings whose registries actively promote DNSSEC and good DNS practice to their registrars lift their whole population, regardless of national income. A proactive registry in a developing economy beats a passive one in a rich economy.
- Registration friction and intent. Endings tied to deliberate, locally-rooted business registration outperform cheap, open, bulk-registered ones — the same pattern that drags down the cheapest generic endings.
- Bulk and throwaway registrations. Some fast-growing endings attract large volumes of low-cost, never-configured domains. These never have email authentication or TLS set up, so they sit at grade F by default and pull the average down.
None of these are fixed by where a business happens to be. They are configuration choices an owner can make in an afternoon.
What this means if you run a domain in an emerging market
The averages don’t describe your domain — they describe the crowd around it. A domain on a high-F-share national ending is in worse company, but the fix is identical everywhere: enforce SPF and DMARC so your email can’t be forged, and serve your site over valid HTTPS. Doing it puts you in the small protected minority on any ending, in any economy.
Frequently asked questions
Are domains in emerging markets less secure than in developed countries? On average, slightly. As of 2026-06-28, 85.6% of emerging-market national domains score an F versus 77.4% in developed economies — an 8.3-point gap. But the majority of domains are exposed in both groups.
Which emerging market has the most secure domains? Among fast-growing economies with robust coverage, Romania leads, with only 62.3% of its .ro domains scoring an F — better than several developed economies. See the live country ranking.
Why are some emerging-market endings almost entirely grade F? Usually bulk, low-cost or never-configured registrations: domains that are registered but never have email authentication or HTTPS set up sit at grade F by default, which pushes a whole ending’s average down.
Is this about a country being poorer? No. The spread inside the emerging group (62.3%–99.7% F) dwarfs the gap between emerging and developed averages. Registry policy and registration intent predict security far better than national income.
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