The business digital divide is concentrated in the smallest firms
Mexico's economic census shows a jump between micro and small firms in internet, cloud and data analytics use, and a much smaller distance between medium and large ones. Brazil and Colombia confirm that AI use grows with firm size.
Executive summary
In Mexico, the digital jump happens between micro and small firms. In 2023, 23.6% of micro units used the internet against 83.1% of small ones; in cloud and big data analytics the share is more than eight times higher.
Between medium and large firms the difference is much smaller. Mexican medium-sized firms use the cloud almost as much as large ones, with nine points between them, and in artificial intelligence the distance is about three points.
In Brazilian industry with 100 or more employees, AI use rose from 16.9% in 2022 to 41.9% in 2024. Among those that adopted no advanced technology, cost was the most cited barrier and the lack of qualified staff the one that grew most since 2022.
Comparisons across countries require care, because each survey uses different years, size bands and units. Even so, in the three countries with data by size, AI adoption rises sharply with firm size.
Context
In Mexico, 19 out of 20 economic units are micro, so any national average of digital adoption mostly reflects what happens in that stratum.
For a small or medium-sized firm, the practical question is what to adopt first. At every size, use is higher for the internet than for cloud, for cloud than for data analytics, and for data analytics than for artificial intelligence, a ladder that helps with planning.
Figure 1 · Economic units that used cloud services in Mexico, by size
% of the stratum, 2023Table 1 · Artificial intelligence use by firm size
| Country and year | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil, 2024 | 10.3% | 29.3% | 38.2% |
| Mexico, 2023 | 6.4% | 14.1% | 17.3% |
| Colombia, 2020 | 4.3% | 9.9% | 21.0% |
Business implications
Start with the data operations already produce. Invoices, collections and inventory in digital form are the basis for using the cloud and, later, data analytics. Bringing them together in one place comes before any investment in AI.
Cover the staff gap with bounded outside support. When the team lacks the specialism, an external provider with a defined scope and timeline can cover it while in-house staff are trained.
Use medium-sized firms as an attainable benchmark. In Mexico, medium-sized firms come close to large ones in cloud and artificial intelligence. For a growing small firm, that stratum marks a realistic level of adoption.
Methodology & data
Own calculations from the counts in the information technology table of INEGI's 2024 Economic Census, with 2023 data. Data for Brazil and Colombia come from the OECD database and from IBGE's Pesquisa de Inovação Semestral 2024, which covers industry with 100 or more employees.
INEGI measures economic units, mostly establishments; the OECD measures firms. Size bands and years differ.
References
INEGI (2025). Censos Económicos 2024: final results and tables on information technology use by size. · INEGI (13 May 2026). Estadísticas a propósito del Día Mundial de Internet. · OECD. ICT Access and Usage by Businesses (consulted 28 September 2026). · IBGE (24 September 2025). Pesquisa de Inovação Semestral 2024: tecnologias digitais avançadas, teletrabalho e cibersegurança.