Digital Government Services by the Numbers

Users are accessing digital government services more often, and satisfaction is increasing. In fact, many users think digital government services are better than those of the private sector. But more than 60% of users still experience a problem when accessing services, so governments can continue to improve. Explore these trends in the slideshow below.

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BCG’s 2016 survey of digital government services is the most comprehensive yet to cover the use of, and satisfaction with, these services. The survey, conducted with the support of Survey Sampling International, includes more than 13,000 respondents in 20 countries and Hong Kong and covers 25 digital government services.

The major findings with respect to users include:

• Users are accessing digital services more often, yet many of these services continue to be those that address simple needs.
• Satisfaction is increasing: 78% of respondents believe that digital government services are somewhat better or much better than two years ago. Satisfaction levels have risen every place covered in 2014 and 2016, with consistent double-digit jumps.
• Many users think digital government  services are better than those of the private sector.
• Some problems persist. More than 60% of users still experience a problem when accessing digital government services. Common difficulties are related to navigation and design, but users also sometimes find that the service they seek is not offered or experience technical difficulties.
• Privacy concerns must be respected. The majority of users are comfortable with sharing data online as long as privacy and security are transparent and controllable and governments build in safeguards.

Based on the survey and our client experience, key findings with respect to governments include the following:

• Governments are digitizing more services, enabling greater levels of user adoption by citizens.
• Many governments have dedicated digital transformation offices as well as dispersed teams working at the agency or department level.
• Governments are getting better at user-centered design, focusing on a strong and easy-to-use user interface to convert more users to digital service access.