- In Latin America and the Caribbean, in-person government transactions still vastly outnumber fully digital ones (48% versus 14%), even though completing a transaction offline takes around six hours on average, compared to just 40 minutes online.
- These gaps closely mirror existing inequalities: citizens with lower education levels, older adults, rural populations, people with disabilities, and historically excluded groups are all significantly less likely to use digital public services.
- As as result, policymakers need to think the problem beyond access to technology. Limited awareness, low digital confidence, and persistent preference for in-person interactions remain major barriers to the adoption of digital public services.
Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) have bet big on digital government: online portals, mobile apps, one-stop platforms. The region's public services are increasingly just a click away. On paper, the story is one of modernization, efficiency, and progress. But a closer look at the daily reality of most citizens reveals a different picture. For the majority, interacting with government still means the same thing it always has: costly trips, long lines, and endless waiting.
In practice, the benefits of digital government are not reaching everyone equally. The citizens who face the greatest barriers to accessing public services—older adults, lower-income populations, rural residents, people with disabilities, and historically excluded groups—are also among the least likely to use digital channels.
This matters because the gap between digital and in-person government services is enormous. Completing a government transaction online takes around 40 minutes on average. Doing it in person takes around six hours. Yet nearly half of citizens in LAC still complete their most recent government transaction in person. As governments continue to digitize services, unequal access risks reinforcing existing inequalities instead of reducing them.
Who is actually using digital public services? What explains the divide? And what can we do about it? As the IDB book ¿(Des)conectados? Servicios públicos digitales y el reto de la equidad (“(Dis)Connected? Digital Public Services and the Equity Challenge”) shows, drawing on fresh survey evidence from 11 countries across the region, expanding digital government is not enough. Targeted policies are needed to help those being left behind.
Government services reach a lot of people: 3 out of 4 citizens in LAC completed a government transaction in the past year. What is more revealing is the channel citizens used: Nearly half of the population (48%) completed their most recent transaction in person. Only 14% went fully digital, and another 10% used a mix of both channels. In other words, in-person use transactions still outnumber fully digital ones by roughly three to one.
Focusing on the channel citizens chose in their most recent interaction with the government, a clear pattern emerges. Digital channels are more commonly used by those with higher education, younger individuals (18–34), people without disabilities, urban residents, and non-Indigenous and non–Afro-descendant populations. This suggests that digital services are being used primarily by those who already face fewer barriers.
Gaps are especially large by education level. While 29% of citizens with a bachelor’s degree or higher completed their last transaction online, only 7% of those with primary education or less did so. Age matters too: 18% of younger citizens (18–34) conducted their last transaction online, compared to just 7% of those aged 55 and over (see Figure 1).
On the demand side, the persistence of the digital divide largely reflects four interrelated barriers: Unequal access to digital resources, gaps in digital skills, limited awareness of available online services, and varying levels of willingness to engage with digital platforms. Together, these factors help to explain who is able, prepared, and motivated to benefit from digital public services.
Do citizens have reliable internet access and suitable devices? The divide here is steep. For example, among university-educated 74% have a computer at home , compared with just 15% of those with only primary education, a gap of 59 percentage points. Computer ownership follows the same pattern: 74% versus just 15% (Figure 2). And many government platforms also remain optimized for desktops rather than smartphones, which only deepens the disadvantage for those who rely on mobile devices.
Do citizens have the skills to use digital government services? Access alone isn’t enough; people also need to understand how to navigate digital platforms. Survey evidence shows that confidence in performing common digital tasks, such as searching online, installing apps, or spotting unreliable information, remains highly uneven across the population.
The same pattern appears across education and age groups. While 37% of citizens with primary education or less and 43% of those aged 55+ are not confident performing any of these tasks, the figures drop to 5% among those with tertiary education and 10% among citizens aged 18–25. Gaps also persist among people with disabilities, rural residents, and Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations (see Figure 3).
As Figure 3 shows, the same pattern appears across education and age groups. While 37% of citizens with primary education or less and 43% of those aged 55+ are not confident performing any of these tasks, the figures drop to 5% among those with tertiary education and 10% among citizens aged 18–25. Gaps also persist among people with disabilities, rural residents, and Indigenous and Afro-descendant populations.
Do people even know they can access government services online? Many do not. Government single portals centralize information and allow users to start or complete transactions in one place. But these platforms only work if people know they exist, and only 43% of respondents do.
As Figure 4 illustrates, awareness is unevenly distributed across social groups. Citizens with tertiary education are more than twice as likely to know about these portals as those with primary education or less (66% versus 30%). Disability gaps persist as well: 44% of people without disabilities have heard of the portals, compared with 31% of those with disabilities.
Do citizens want to conduct transactions online? Given the time and money digital channels can save, one might expect citizens to prefer them. But Figure 5 suggests otherwise: while 80% of those who used digital channels in their last transaction would do so again, conversion remains a challenge. Among citizens whose last transaction was in person, only 30% say they would switch to digital next time, while 70% would prefer to return to the slower, costlier in-person channel.
Several measures could help expand the use of digital public services in the short term:
- Making awareness unavoidable through SMS, WhatsApp, calls, and in-person touchpoints could help expand knowledge of digital options.
- Encouraging first-time digital use with assisted support and default digital options could increase uptake, as the biggest barrier is getting people to try digital once.
- Simplifying the user journey by using clearer language, fewer steps, and more transparent requirements could reduce attrition and build trust.
- Measuring usage, completion rates, and user experience across demographic groups can help identify bottlenecks and improve service design.
Closing the digital divide over the longer term requires instead deeper structural changes:
- Designing for mobile-first rather than desktop-first systems is essential, as many low-income users rely on smartphones. Services should be simple, fast, and fully functional on mobile, with low data requirements.
- Expanding basic digital skills through short, practical training (in-person and online) can increase usage, especially among older adults and citizens with lower education levels.
- Tailored interventions are needed to promote digital uptake among groups lagging behind, including older adults, people with disabilities, rural residents, and historically excluded populations.
- Maintaining and improving in-person options remains essential for inclusion. Expanding one-stop-shop models and better integrating in-person and digital channels can help build a more effective omni-channel system.
This post draws on two recent publications: ¿(Des)conectados? Servicios públicos digitales y el reto de la equidad and Citizen Survey on Government Transactions and Equity, 2023–2024.
Carolina Rivas and Mateo Vásquez contributed to this blog post.