How do citizens in Germany rate the digitalization of administrative services? Initiative D21 e.V. has been conducting an annual monitoring study on this topic since 2010 in collaboration with the Technical University of Munich and the market research company Kantar. The representative study, known as eGovernment MONITOR, examines the use and acceptance of digital administrative services from the perspective of citizens and shows whether the digital transformation of the administration is also being accepted by citizens in Germany. It also compares the German federal states, Austria and Switzerland.
This year’s study results underline the fact that more and more people in Germany are using digital administrative services and want to continue to do so in the future. 65% of respondents prefer online services as soon as they are available. In addition, a majority of respondents (71%) see real advantages in handling government services digitally compared to the analog way. This shows that many citizens are open to eGovernment in Germany.
More (mobile) use of online public administration services throughout Germany
In general, the proportion of people using eGovernment services is increasing. More than one in two (56%) have used such services in the last twelve months. This includes students who have secured the energy price allowance: 90 percent of all applications for this have been submitted online. The majority of income tax returns and requests for postal voting documents are now also processed online. The mobile use of digital administrative services in particular is on the rise: More and more citizens are also using their smartphone or tablet for administrative matters (increase from 43 to 54 percent). According to the study, all federal states are benefiting from this positive development, with the city state of Bremen leading the state comparison with a usage rate of 66%.
Standardized solutions for online services are in demand
So far, different solutions for online services have been used in the various authorities at local, regional and state level. These then also differ in the options for identification that citizens are already familiar with from the private sector. Here, the online ID card offers a great opportunity to establish a standardized procedure, which 53% of respondents would like to see.
However, the study also shows that although more people are using the online ID card (14% with an increase of 4% compared to 2022), many citizens are still unfamiliar with its functions and possible uses. This is where the state, together with the private sector, needs to do more work to show citizens the added value. However, this also applies to other digital services. More than a third of respondents (63%) stated that they expect the administration to be able to use its services online just as easily and conveniently as those of private companies.
AI-supported assistance systems as an opportunity to overcome reservations
Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming increasingly widespread in the private sector, meaning that people are becoming more familiar with the new technology. Almost half of those surveyed (47%) are open to the use of AI in administration as long as fundamental decisions continue to be made by humans. By taking over routine tasks, AI can relieve the burden on administrative staff, making processes more efficient and taking better account of citizens’ individual needs. For example, chatbots enable more efficient navigation through government websites so that suitable services can be found and used more quickly. One in two (50 percent) can already imagine communicating with the administration via chatbot and using it to research administrative websites.
Digital skills are not a major hurdle for people in Germany. 66% of respondents feel able to use the online services offered by public authorities and offices. Short explanatory videos or the opportunity to interact with “real” government employees online, for example via chat, break down barriers and encourage respondents to use digital government services.
61% of citizens criticize the lack of awareness of online services. However, if they are known and have been used for the first time, they seem to be immediately convincing: 65% of respondents prefer to do things online as soon as this option is offered. 94% of people who have used a government service digitally would like to do so again next time.
Tasks clear
In addition to the positive developments, one thing is particularly clear: eGovernment services must be made better known and their use must be made as convenient as possible. This includes, for example, that the services are search engine optimized so that they can be found quickly. At the same time, the usability of the services must be designed in such a way that citizens find them smoother and easier to use than analog procedures. In addition, low-threshold communication and support services help to increase the visibility of the services, for example in the form of a citizen-oriented information campaign and central portals that make it easier to search for relevant applications.
For the study, 8,034 people aged 16 and over in Germany who use the internet privately were surveyed online between May 5 and 30, 2023.
aconium supports the current eGovernment Monitor 2023 of the D21 initiative and the Technical University of Munich as a premium partner and is a long-standing partner of the non-profit D21 association.
All results of the study can be found here: https://initiatived21.de/publikationen/egovernment-monitor