EY’s (formerly Ernst & Young) ‘s latest study on the interaction between society’ s multilateral development and digitization, Connected Citizens, in 22 countries around the world, reveals both active online usage patterns and people ‘s expectations for new improvements to digital services.
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EY’s research shows that in Latvia, on average, the intensity of online services is similar to that in the Baltics and Western countries, but Latvia is already significantly ahead of the world’s leading economies in using public services online. Namely, already in Latvia 62% of the population in Latvia use public services via the Internet, while only 23% in Germany, 51% in France, 46% In Great Britain, 29% in the US and only 17% in Japan. In others as well Baltic In some countries, the use of public services online is high, with 66% in Lithuania and 73% in Estonia.
“The data of our study clearly show that Latvian society is not lagging behind Western countries in the use of online services and in some cases we are even one step ahead, which is natural given the significant public investment in e-government. We also see that people are consciously expecting new improvements that In general, it is concluded that the people of Latvia are not only ready, but also want a new wave of digital transformation.
At the same time, it can be seen that in Latvia there is still untapped potential of digitization, especially in the field of health care and education, where the use of digital opportunities is not as developed as in the areas of public administration or finance. People do not yet know what to expect from digital healthcare services, but this will change with the introduction of new opportunities, as in the financial sector, “says Nauris Kļava, EY’s partner.
“The study shows that we are a modern society that is ready to take advantage of the digital environment. with higher quality and usability of digital services and a willingness to use increasingly complex services in the digital environment, such as education, health, employment and civic participation, which means that the digital transformation must be at the heart of every industry, supporting society in reaping the benefits of digital technologies, “says Gatis Ozols, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development Deputy Secretary of State for Digital Transformation.
The study shows that the most significant positive changes from the development of technology Latvians expect in the financial sector, where 74% expect improvements in digital transformation, but another 63% expect improvements in shopping, and another 58% expect positive changes in their work and study process.
In turn, another 55% of Latvians expect that the provision of public services will improve as a result of technology, as well as the same number of people expect improvements in health care services as a result of wider technology introduction. Relatively less Latvians expect positive changes in technology in their entertainment (35%), strengthening mental health (25%) and physical activity and sports training (21%).
EY’s research shows that in Latvia, at the level of the world’s leading economies, the proportion of people who manage their finances online is 69%, while in Germany it is 66%, in France 67%, in the United Kingdom 75% and in the United States 65%. In Estonia, the figure is as high as 84%, while in Lithuania it is 77%.
In turn, 66% of the population in Latvia shop online, which is slightly less than the leading indicators of the world’s economies – 76% of the population in Germany, 77% in France, 86% in the United Kingdom and 78% in the United States. In Estonia the figure is 70%, but in Lithuania it is 76%.
The study reveals that only 7% of Latvians do not use social media at all, but 5% rarely use it – less than once a week. 78% of Latvians use social media platforms at least once a day, but another 10% check their social media accounts at least once a week.
These figures are very similar in other Baltic countries and are in line with, for example, the habits of the US population, where 75% of the population use social media at least once a day, but 14% do not use it at all or use it less than once a week. The number of people who use social media especially intensively in Latvia is also similar to the USA – in Latvia 17% use social media “all the time”, but in the USA – 19%.
It is interesting that in Latvia these indicators are significantly higher than in some Western countries. In Germany, for example, 16% of the population do not use social media at all, and another 10% use it less than once a week. In France, too, the number of non-users of social networks is significantly higher than in Latvia – 13% and another 6% who use them less than once a week.
The EY Connected Citizens study looks at different subject blocks: quality of life, people’s values, the impact of COVID-19, the use of public and municipal services, the use and impact of online, technology and data, trust in public authorities, and industrial relations. In the coming months, EY will continue to report on the main findings and conclusions of the various thematic blocks by compiling data for each section of the study.
In Latvia and other Baltic countries, the study was conducted in collaboration with the research company Norstat according to the methodology of the international research center Ipsos MORI. The study covers 22 countries, with national data that are sociologically representative and comparable, with at least a thousand people surveyed in each country. 1060 respondents were surveyed in Latvia.
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