Three ways people aged 55 and above access digital government services differently from those between 18 and 34
Customizing approaches based on experiences of various age groups can assist government agencies create accessible, user-friendly, and inclusive digital platforms.
Government agencies have a fundamental duty to serve constituents within their specified missions. Striving to serve everyone fairly and equitably can sometimes lead to government agencies relying on providing services that can be one-size-fits-all in nature. However, various citizen cohorts—by age, geography, and ethnicity—come with unique and distinct behaviors, capabilities, and needs and thus interact with government services differently.
Our analysis identified three ways in which respondents aged 55 and above interact with digital government services differently from those between 18 and 34 (figure 1).
About the Deloitte Digital Citizen Survey, 2022
In November and December 2022, Deloitte surveyed 5,800 people across 13 countries to learn about their use of government digital services. Access further information on the survey methodology and respondent profile here.
1. As age increases, satisfaction from digital public services decreases
Fifty-three percent of respondents between ages 18 and 34 expressed satisfaction with digital government services, compared to only 39% aged 55 and above. People aged 35 to 54 had a satisfaction rate of 51%. The results indicate an inverse correlation—as age increases, satisfaction with digital government services decreases. Users aged 18 to 34 had a higher satisfaction rate for educational, public housing, and homelessness services. In contrast, people aged 55 years and older were dissatisfied with digital government services for various reasons, including difficulty in navigating complex government websites, privacy concerns and internet accessibility issues, or insufficient knowledge of the internet.
2. People aged 55 and above are more skeptical about sharing information digitally
Adults under 35 seem 9% more comfortable sharing their personal data than people aged 55 and above. It could be because of anxiety regarding data safety—one of the major concerns raised by the latter group.1 The starkest difference in trust levels can be seen in the case of social welfare agencies like unemployment and child welfare services. People aged 55 and above cited 12% less trust in these services than their younger counterparts between 18 and 34.2 The former also cited a 9% higher concern level regarding a breach of security or data collected by private companies.3
3. People aged 55 and above have a significantly lower rate of digital interaction with the government compared to those aged 18 to 34
Thirty-two percent of respondents aged 18 to 34 interact with government digitally on a regular basis, but the number drops to 17% for respondents aged above 55. Possible reasons behind this lack of interaction by the latter could be lack of trust, privacy concerns, and dissatisfaction with digital services.4 The fact that the older demographic uses complex websites (62%) much more than mobile applications (16%) could also contribute to dissatisfaction and lack of regular engagement with digital government services. Navigating complex websites was cited as the biggest barrier to access digital government services among those surveyed.5
What government agencies should consider
Prioritize a user-centric design
Younger people have been brought up in an era where technology is quite common, giving many a fair amount of exposure to digital media. In contrast, older users often need to condition themselves to the ever-changing technological landscape. Government agencies can aid this journey by considering varying levels of comfort with technology and tailoring their digital platforms to be user-friendly and easy to navigate. The United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service created a central “Design System” for developing user-centric services across all government services.6 Among other things, the system focuses on making online services age-friendly, ensuring on-screen material is visually and substantively coherent and easy to navigate.7
Be digitally inclusive
The government can ensure greater digital inclusivity by developing more inclusive tech and launching educational campaigns to spread digital awareness, alleviate data and privacy concerns, and build trust in adopting digital services. In June 2020, Singapore launched the “Seniors Go Digital” program to help disadvantaged elderly citizens overcome pandemic-induced isolation and join the digital world. The program provided personalized coaching by connecting seniors with young ambassadors and offered financial assistance for purchasing smartphones and mobile plans to those in need.8
Engage in interagency collaboration
Interaction with a multitude of platforms is often necessary to access government services such as those related to health care, social security, or tax. Through interagency collaboration, government can ensure interconnectedness for these services through a unified digital platform, which would ease the experience further. It can also allow agencies to deliver services around life events such as retirement, unemployment, managing health, or aging. A standardized login system would also make it easier for citizens to access various digital services without the creation of multiple accounts, thus helping to make their digital interactions seamless and user-friendly.
Tailoring the approach based on experiences of different cohorts could help government improve satisfaction from digital services, make services more accessible, and alleviate data privacy concerns.