81 percent of those who most recently dealt with a government matter digitally were satisfied. Yet only 15 percent say a modern digital government meets their expectations. One reason: only one in four people can complete the process entirely online, and many are unaware of available digital services. These findings come from eGovernment MONITOR 2026, a representative survey by Initiative D21 and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), conducted by Kantar.
In brief
- Digital government services win over 81 percent of users
- Only 15 percent feel that modern digital government services meet their expectations
- Only one in four requests can be handled entirely digitally
Digital administration outperforms analog administration - at least from the perspective of those who use it. This is shown by the annual survey for the eGovernment MONITOR. 81 percent of people who handled their most recent matter entirely or partially online were satisfied with the outcome. For those who handled their matter entirely offline, the figure was 64 percent. Many even found the experience better than expected and would choose the digital option again next time. However, far too few people have had this experience: Half handled their most recent matter entirely offline. Only a small proportion deliberately chose not to use the digital option. Most assumed that a digital option wasn't available, or simply couldn't find it.
Digital for a long time in everyday life, but still rare at government offices
The results of the eGovernment MONITOR show that, when comparing the extent to which digitization makes everyday life easier in various areas (such as banking, shopping, or transportation), government services lag significantly behind. When it comes to online banking, digital transactions have long been the norm for most people. This is hardly the case with government agencies, even though the individual services are well-received once people actually use them.
"For years now, no one has had to go to a bank branch to make transfers, change their address, or set up standing orders, and people have gotten used to that. They now measure government services against these simple everyday tasks as well. Anyone who finds a digital service and can handle their business online from start to finish is satisfied. But this still happens too rarely to make everyday life noticeably easier," says Lena-Sophie Müller, CEO of Initiative D21.
What people expect - and what they get
What people expect from digital government is clear: About two-thirds want it to work as easily as digital services from the private sector, to proactively inform them about available online services, and to use new technologies such as artificial intelligence to work more efficiently. Currently, only 15 percent feel these expectations are being met. This is likely also due to the limited reach: Only about a quarter were able to complete their last request entirely online. A positive experience remains the exception.
As long as only a quarter of people can handle their business digitally from start to finish, those positive individual experiences will have no impact.
Prof. Helmut Krcmar
"Every positive interaction with a government agency builds trust. But for the overall picture to change, enough people need to have that experience. As long as only a quarter of people can handle their business digitally from start to finish, these positive individual experiences will have no impact," says Helmut Krcmar, professor emeritus of business informatics at TUM and co-editor of the eGovernment MONITOR.
It's not enough to simply provide digital services
According to the study, digital services only have an impact when people are aware of them, can find them, and can fully resolve their issues using them. The results of the eGovernment MONITOR show that obstacles still exist in this very area. Many people are unaware that an online service is already available for their needs, cannot find it, or are unable to complete the process entirely online. Added to this are shortcomings in mobile usability as well as hurdles related to digital identification.
"All too often, digital government services are still developed based on the internal logic of government agencies or ministries. The approach must be the opposite: first understand what people need, then build. The benchmark is whether it makes everyday life easier, and the eGovernment MONITOR provides the evidence for this year after year," says Marc Reinhardt, President of Initiative D21.
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MCube / Viktoriya Zayika Since 2011, the eGovernment MONITOR study has provided an annual, comprehensive overview of the use and acceptance of digital government services in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Publisher: Initiative D21 e. V. and the Technical University of Munich / Patron: The Federal Government Commissioner for Information Technology / Research Institute: Kantar.
The study is jointly funded by a partnership of public and private-sector organizations: Technical Premium Partner: FITKO (Federal IT Cooperation) | Premium Partners: Accenture GmbH, adesso SE, Dataport AöR, Delos Cloud GmbH, EY GmbH & Co. KG, Fabasoft Deutschland GmbH, Fsas Technologies GmbH, Huawei Technologies Deutschland GmbH, ING-DiBa AG, Sopra Steria SE, | Classic Partners: Office of the Federal Chancellor of Austria, Bundesdruckerei Group, Capgemini Deutschland GmbH, Cassini Consulting AG, msg systems ag, PricewaterhouseCoopers GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, VITAKO Federal Association of Municipal IT Service Providers e. V. | Basic Partners: dbb Civil Servants' Union and Collective Bargaining Association, DGB Federal Executive Board, Digital Administration Switzerland.
