New research ranks the most advanced countries adopting e-government services by analysing availability of e-transactions, government website user experience and adoption of online processes.
- The United Kingdom with an overall score of 95.3 out of 100 is the country with the most e-government services.
- New Zealand (92.1), Japan (88.8), Netherlands (84.7) and Denmark (84.4) make the top five in second, third, fourth and fifth position respectively.
- European and Asian countries confirm the top 10. The USA sits in 11th position and it’s the first American country in the index.
E-government services are those actions or processes that can be done online without having to go to an office or physical location. Since the pandemic e-government services have become key and very important for advanced societies. A significant number of countries have allowed new processes to be done online, not only saving money and time for the taxpayers but also for the administrators.
With this in mind, the organisation behind Smart City Expo World Congress event has revealed the top 25 countries with the best e-government services by researching nine key transactions which can be done online without the need to attend a government office in person:
- E-residency: to obtain a residence.
- Updating a passport electronically
- Business/freelance registration: to register a business or set oneself as a freelancer
- Travel e-visa: to obtain a Visa online, allowing travel to another country
- Registration in the online system: Register yourself in the government online system that grants you access to e-transactions without having to go to any government offices,
- Tax payments: to pay your yearly taxes online
- Tax calculation: to calculate how much money you need to pay in taxes
- E-signature: enabling online signatures for official documents
- Online voting: to vote for local or general elections
In addition, the analysis also considers each government’s website for user experience and navigation, and the E-participation index (EGSI), to determine the overall e-Government index score.
The top 8 countries with the best e-government services
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United Kingdom
In first position and with an overall score of 95.3 is the United Kingdom which offers many e-transactions such as passport updates, freelancer registration, travel e-visa, registration in the online system, tax payment and calculation and e-signature. Lacking in just two areas, the government does not offer residency or online voting. When it comes to the navigation of the UK government’s website, the website has a score of 30/30 signalling the ease and clarity for users to navigate it. The UK has a score of 97.6 for e-participation showcasing its citizens are adopting and using the e-government services for convenience and time-saving benefits.
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New Zealand
In second position and with an overall e-Government score of 92.1 out of 100 is New Zealand. Offering seven online services out of the nine including Updating passport, business/freelance registration, travel e-visa, registration in online system, calculation and tax payments and e-signature, only e-residency and online voting are unavailable for its citizens. When it comes to website navigation, New Zealand’s government website scores a top 30 out of 30, making it very easy for its citizens to adopt the e-government services. This is showcased on the e-participation index where New Zealand scores a 91.2 out of 100 for usage of e-services.
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Japan
Being the first Asian country to appear on the Smart City Expo World Congress Index, Japan scores 88.8 out of 100 and provides six e-services to its citizens (updating passport, travel e-visa, registration in the online system, calculation and tax payment and e-signature) with three not offered (e-residency, online vote and freelance registration). Their government website scores a decent 25 out of 30 for navigation and user experience, however it ranks great for its e-participation score, 100 out of 100, meaning all its citizens have fully adopted its e-government services.
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Netherlands
In fourth position with an overall score of 84.7 out of 100 is The Netherlands. When looking at the e-services they offer five out of nine; freelance registration, online system registration, calculation and tax payments and e-signature. The Netherlands is one of the top countries for website navigation and user experience scoring 30 out of 30, alongside an e-participation score of 90.6.
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Denmark
Scoring 84.4 is Denmark. Denmark offers six out of nine of the e-services analysed apart from the e-residency, passport update, travel e-visa and online vote. Its website ranks 24 out of 30 for website navigation and user experience but its e-participation ranks top at 100 out of 100 alongside Japan, revealing how adaptive the Dutch are while spotting the benefits of a more digitised government.
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Saudi Arabia
In sixth position with an overall e-government ranking of 84.2 is Saudi Arabia, offering most of the e-services apart from the online vote and the e-residency. While it offers seven services out of the nine analysed, the user experience and navigation of their website is low, with a value of 18 out of 30. When looking at the e-participation index Saudi Arabia scores a 95.3 out of 100, demonstrating the importance of the e-government services for the Saudi Arabians.
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Estonia
In seventh position and with a total score of 82.8 is Estonia. This country is the only one that offers the online vote out of all the countries analysed. All other services are available with exception to the travel e-visa. However, the user experience and navigation of the government website rank low at just 12 out of 30, although this does not seem a problem for Estonians who have a high e-participation score (95.3 out of 100).
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Singapur
In eighth position, with a total score of 80.9, is Singapore. This nation meets seven out of the nine analysed parameters, including passport updates, business/freelance registration, travel e-visas, online system registration, tax calculation and payment, and e-signatures. Although its navigation and user experience score is relatively low at 14 out of 30, Singapore excels in e-participation, scoring 95.3 out of 100, which highlights how highly Singaporeans value the e-transactions offered by their government.
The top 25 countries leading the e-government race
To know more about how governments are advancing in the digital race and becoming more accessible for their citizens head here: https://www.smartcityexpo.com/the-25-countries-leading-in-e-government-paving-the-way-for-efficiency-and-transparency/
Feature image by Cytonn Photography on Pexels
