A decade ago, accessing public services in Brazil was cumbersome, requiring citizens to navigate fragmented systems, complete repetitive paperwork, and visit multiple government offices. While digital solutions existed, they were siloed, costly, and difficult to scale, limiting access for millions. The creation of GOV.BR, a collaboration between the World Bank and Brazil’s Digital Government Secretariat, transformed this landscape. Starting with 20 million users, the platform now serves over 170 million people, enabling more than 4,000 federal services, supporting 370 million digital signatures, and generating R$12.98 billion in savings through secure, interoperable digital identity.
The transformation began with a 2019 diagnostic by the World Bank’s Identification for Development (ID4D) initiative, which assessed Brazil’s identity landscape. The assessment facilitated stakeholder engagement across agencies and guided the design of GOV.BR, ensuring scalable, interoperable, and secure digital identity services. This foundation enabled the platform to expand beyond simple authentication to include authorization and credential management, supporting millions of daily interactions safely and efficiently.
GOV.BR’s growth reflects a broader shift in citizen engagement with government, emphasizing usability, trust, and reliability. Its tiered digital ID system, built on biometric civil registries, ensures secure access across varying levels of authentication. The Digital Government Secretariat has been instrumental in this success, promoting interoperability, implementing security measures like two-factor authentication and electronic signatures, and prioritizing inclusive access through initiatives such as the GOV.BR Citizen Service Counter, which serves 34 million people via 124 in-person units alongside digital channels.
The World Bank’s collaboration has expanded beyond the initial diagnostic, supporting federal and subnational operations, including projects in Espirito Santo and Sergipe and partnerships with Caixa Econômica Federal and Serpro. This scaling demonstrates Brazil’s commitment to digital transformation, enhancing service delivery, promoting interoperability, and building citizen trust across multiple levels of government.
Brazil’s experience offers a model for inclusive digital transformation, showing how international collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and inclusive design can accelerate modernization. GOV.BR illustrates that digital transformation is not just about technology—it empowers citizens, strengthens institutions, and fosters a connected, responsive public sector.
