Studies
With its monitoring system, Digital Public Services Switzerland obtains an overview of eGovernment progress in Switzerland and compares it with other countries. National and international studies form the information basis for this.
Overview of national and international studies
Study | Subject | ||
---|---|---|---|
Study | National eGovernment Study | Subject | Use and availability of electronic public services. |
Study | eGovernment Monitor study | Subject | Satisfaction with and (mobile) use of electronic public services, usage barriers. |
Study | eGovernment Benchmark report | Subject | Examines the extent to which online public service offerings fulfil the requirements of "user-friendliness", "transparency", "cross-border mobility for the population and businesses" and "basic services". |
Study | eGovernment Survey | Subject | eParticipation Index and eGovernment Development Index (= Online Service Index, Telecommunications Infrastructure Index and Human Capital Index). |
Study | Global Innovation Index | Subject | Indicators: human capital, research, infrastructure, market and business sophistication (input)/knowledge and technology, and creativity (output). |
Study | Omnibus 2021: survey on internet usage | Subject | As part of the annual census, the Federal Statistical Office carries out surveys on a variety of topics. In 2021, the Omnibus survey was on internet access/usage. |
National eGovernment Study
The National eGovernment Study published on 10 May 2022 confirms the trend: the demand for electronic public services is greater than the supply available from the public authorities. As part of the study, the Swiss population, Swiss businesses and the public services were asked about the use and implementation of e-services.
Published by: Digital Public Services Switzerland and State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO)
eGovernment MONITOR 2022
The eGovernment Monitor 2021 survey, carried out by Kantar and published by Initiative D21 and the Technical University of Munich, uses a representative survey of the online populations in Germany (DE), Austria (AT) and Switzerland to look into the usage and acceptance of digital government services. In the 11th edition, the usage of, need for and satisfaction with concrete online services are measured for the first time. This latest survey also focuses on trust in the state.
Main results:
- Search engines remain a key resource: 54% of those surveyed access online government services via search engines (e.g. Google). Only one third of respondents search using the website of their town/city or commune.
- The use of online public services, especially from mobile devices, has risen: 61% of those surveyed have used an online public service in the last 12 months. Half of respondents that have already used an eGovernment service did so from a smartphone.
- There is high demand for online public services: For example, around one third of respondents requested a confirmation of residence without being aware of the online version. The figure even rose to around 45% for people applying for unemployment benefit.
- High level of satisfaction with the eGovernment service offering: Nearly 8 out of 10 Swiss respondents are satisfied with the authorities' digital services. The Austrians are just as satisfied, whereas the Germans are slightly less satisfied (65%). Respondents from Switzerland are most satisfied with the electronic tax declaration. The online process is described as reliable, comprehensive, fast and easy to navigate.
- In Switzerland, the main barriers to use are mainly personal: Just under half of those surveyed would rather speak to a member of staff from the authority and regard an in-person visit to the authorities as faster and easier than the online option. Other barriers cited with regard to the online option were complicated processes, a lack of familiarity and hard-to-find online services.
- In Switzerland, unlike in its neighbouring countries, trust in the state and its performance is very high: For example, 40% of respondents say that the state protects their data. This figure is less than 30% for Germany and Austria. In Germany, 56% of respondents think that the state is not able to provide high-performance internet coverage, while in Switzerland half as many people hold this opinion. Moreover, trust in the state in general, independently of digital public services, is at nearly 70% in Switzerland, which is 30% higher than in Germany and Austria.
- There has not been a significant rise in the use of the available digital authentication services: 37% of respondents from Switzerland do not use electronic authentication when using online public services. The remainder mainly use SwissID and the TAN process.
Published by: Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Initiative D21
EU's 2022 eGovernment Benchmark report
The European Commission's eGovernment Benchmark report, published on 28 July 2022, looks at progress in the digitalisation of public services and compares how digital public services are being delivered across Europe. The comparison uses the following four indicators: «user-friendliness», «transparency», «cross-border mobility» and «basic services» in eGovernment. These are assessed annually for the public and business, such as the birth of a child or the founding of a company. The study covers all 27 EU member states plus Switzerland, Albania, Iceland, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey.
Switzerland has improved in the "basic services" indicator, particularly in terms of authentic sources. Authentic sources, e.g. automatically pre-filled forms, ease the burden on the public and businesses when using e-services. Despite a slight increase in overall performance, Switzerland ranks 28 out of 35.
Published by: European Commission
eGovernment Survey 2022
The eGovernment Survey 2022, published by the United Nations (UN), examines global and regional e-government development in 193 member states through a comparative assessment of national government portals. The study is published every two years and creates a ranking in the area of digital administration (e-government Development Index EDGI). This consists of the weighted average of three sub-components: the Online Service Index (OSI), the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII) and the Human Capital Index (HI). The survey also includes the E-Participation Index (EPI), which focuses on the use of online services through "electronic information exchange," "electronic consultation," and "electronic decision making." The topic of the 12th edition of the survey is "The Future of Digital Government." The 2022 survey is the first edition that includes the e-government status of the most populous city in each case.
In the latest study Switzerland ranks 41st in the EPI (2020: 18th; 2018: 41st) and 23rd in the EDGI (2020: 16th; 2018: 15th).
Published by: United Nations (UN)
Global Innovation Index 2022
The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2022, which is published jointly by Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), tracks global innovation trends of 132 economies around the world against the background of an ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, slowing productivity growth and other ongoing challenges. The 15th edition of the GII is based on a comprehensive data set of around 80 indicators from international public and private sources. This 2022 edition of the GII focuses on the effect of innovation on productivity and wellbeing of society over the coming decades.
The study is compiled on the basis of a country's innovation inputs and outputs. Innovation inputs include human capital, research, infrastructure, and market and business sophistication. Innovation outputs include knowledge and technology, as well as creativity. Since 2011, Switzerland has topped the ranking, followed by the US, Sweden and the UK. In the areas of knowledge and technology (number of patents issued, publication of scientific articles, etc.) and creativity (e.g. international brand value), Switzerland achieves top scores.
Published by: Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
Overview of other surveys on the digitalisation of public services
In the World Digital Comptetiveness Ranking 2022, the Lausanne Institute for Management Development examines the digital competitiveness of 63 countries. The results are divided into three main categories of knowledge, future capability and technology - with sub-categories. Switzerland is at the fifth position in the global ranking.
The second representative commune survey on digitalisation conducted by the association Myni Gmeind together with the Association of Swiss Communes (ASC) and the polling institute TransferPlus shows that the vast majority have a positive view of technological change, but at the same time are sceptical about their own digitalisation efforts. 760 communes took part in the online survey.
Published by: Myni Gmeind and the Association of Swiss Communes
Commune survey on digitalisation
The Index of Digital Political Participation in Switzerland (DigiPartIndex) records the extent to which it is possible to participate digitally in the political process in Switzerland and maps the cantons in a comparable manner.
Published by: The Centre for Democracy Studies Aarau (ZDA)
Due to the significant e-commerce boom, the Swiss Accessibility Study focuses on the accessibility of webshops and comes to the sobering conclusion that 1.7 million people with a disability encounter sometimes insurmountable obstacles when shopping online and are thus excluded from online shopping. The study on online shops (publication date November 2020) can be downloaded free of charge as an accessible PDF in French and German.
Published by: Access for all, foundation for accessible technology use
Based on the websites of 171 Swiss cities and urban communes, the Digital City Monitor surveys the status of digital transformation and provides a rating for each city and urban commune surveyed.
Published by: Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW in collaboration with KPMG Switzerland
Every year, the DigitalBarometer measures how the Swiss population perceives digitalisation and what needs there are in terms of participation.
Published by: Stiftung Risiko_Dialog, in partnership with Die Mobiliar