Governments across Latin America and the Caribbean have increasingly invested in digital public services through online portals, mobile applications, and one-stop digital platforms aimed at improving efficiency and reducing bureaucracy. Despite these efforts, a new analysis highlights that millions of citizens still rely heavily on in-person government services, exposing major inequalities in access to digital government systems.
The report found that in-person government transactions continue to vastly outnumber fully digital ones across the region. Nearly 48 percent of citizens completed their most recent government transaction in person, while only 14 percent used fully digital channels. This disparity is significant because online transactions take an average of 40 minutes to complete, compared to approximately six hours for in-person services involving travel, waiting times, and paperwork.
The unequal use of digital public services closely reflects broader social inequalities. Citizens with lower education levels, older adults, rural populations, people with disabilities, Indigenous groups, and Afro-descendant communities are far less likely to access online government services. The findings suggest that the people who already face the greatest barriers to public services are also the least likely to benefit from digital government initiatives.
Education level emerged as one of the strongest factors influencing digital government use. Around 29 percent of citizens with higher education used online channels for their latest government transaction, compared to only 7 percent among those with primary education or less. Younger citizens between 18 and 34 years old were also significantly more likely to use digital services than adults aged 55 and above.
The report identified four major barriers preventing wider adoption of digital public services. The first challenge is unequal access to digital resources such as reliable internet connections and desktop computers. Large gaps remain between high-income and low-income households, with many digital government systems still optimized for desktop devices rather than smartphones commonly used by lower-income citizens.
The second barrier is limited digital literacy. Many citizens lack confidence in performing everyday online tasks such as searching for information, installing applications, or identifying false content online. Older adults, rural populations, people with disabilities, and historically excluded groups face particularly large digital skills gaps.
A third obstacle is low awareness of available online services. Although many governments have introduced centralized digital portals, less than half of surveyed citizens were aware these platforms existed. Awareness was much higher among highly educated citizens than among those with lower education levels or disabilities.
The report also highlighted reluctance to switch from traditional in-person services to digital systems. While most citizens who already used online services said they would do so again, a large majority of those who previously completed transactions in person still preferred offline interactions despite the greater time and cost involved. Concerns about trust, unfamiliarity, and confidence continue to influence these preferences.
To address these challenges, the report recommends several short-term and long-term policy actions. Immediate measures include improving public awareness through SMS, WhatsApp, phone calls, and in-person assistance, simplifying digital platforms, and offering guided support for first-time users. Governments are also encouraged to measure service usage across demographic groups to identify barriers more effectively.
For long-term inclusion, policymakers are advised to adopt mobile-first service design, expand practical digital skills training, and develop targeted interventions for vulnerable populations such as older adults, rural residents, people with disabilities, and historically marginalized communities. The report also stresses that maintaining accessible in-person government services remains essential to ensure equitable access while digital systems continue to expand.
