Digital divide in action: who and how uses online public services

Online interaction with public institutions has become almost the norm in Luxembourg: 87% of residents used digital administrative services in the 12 months preceding the 2024 survey. However, notable gaps remain between age and education groups.

Thus, among people between 25 and 44 years of age, the share of users reaches 94 per cent, while in the 65-74 age group the figure drops to 68 per cent. The drop starts after the age of 55 and is accompanied by increasing difficulties: 21% of older users admitted to lacking the skills or knowledge to make online transactions. This compares to just 2% of 15-24 year olds.

Education also plays a key role: among people with a high level of education, 95 per cent use digital government services, while among the less educated only 72 per cent do so.

The most popular functions remain downloading and printing official forms (66%) and accessing personal information (63%). At the same time, more than 60 per cent of respondents did not file applications or complaints - most often simply because there was no need to do so.

However, for a significant proportion of users, the experience is not without problems. One in four complain about the complexity of interfaces, 22% have experienced technical glitches, and 11% have had difficulty using electronic signatures or identification.

Despite progress, the STATEC survey results point to the need for a more inclusive approach: especially for older citizens, for whom digitalisation can mean a new obstacle rather than convenience.