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E-government and bridging the digital divide in Croatia

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to bridge the digital divide has become even more pronounced. This paper explores the differences in using the internet for interaction with public authorities after the COVID-19 outbreak. In particular, this study aims to address the following research questions: (1) How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the digital divide in Croatia? (2) In which population groups is the digital gap in e-government services use the most pronounced? We use the Eurostat data for 2019 and 2020 that measure the use of digital public services ; for example, obtaining information from public authorities websites, downloading or submitting completed forms, etc. E-government provided essential tools to tackle the crisis, including online learning and innovative digital government services, which led to increased interaction with public authorities. However, digital interaction varies significantly by age, education, income level, gender, and geography. We found that Croatia had fewer internet and users of e-government services compared with the EU-27 average in 2020 ; 10 and 16 percentage points, respectively. Furthermore, older adults in Croatia were least likely to interact with public authorities online. The reason for that might be due to small proportions of persons aged 50+ with good or better IT skills, for example, this has been confirmed in the SHARE (Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe) study. However, individuals in lower-income groups were less favourable when analyzing the digital gap by income levels. Furthermore, being female proved to be a predictor of lower use of digital public services in Croatia ; 48% of males compared to 35% of females used digital public services in 2020. Finally, remote areas exhibit less digital interaction than urban parts ; the gap in digital public services in 2020 was almost 20 percentage points between rural regions and cities in Croatia. Considering that the digital divide still hinders e-government development in Croatia, this paper presents various instruments, initiatives, opportunities, and recommendations for fostering public sector digital transformation and closing the digital gap. A lack of digital skills makes it impossible for people to participate in the new economic reality and use online government services. The COVID-19 pandemic has enhanced digital technology use and prompted many people to begin to use e-government services. However, we are still witnessing significant inequalities in access to digital technologies across different population groups or geographic areas.

COVID-19 ; Croatia ; digital divide ; digital public services ; e-government

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