According to a study conducted by a specialized office on behalf of the National Telecommunications Authority (INT) with a representative sample of the Tunisian population aged 10 to 70, i.e., 5,077 people, 26.5% of internet users use online administrative services, notably for procedures related to the vehicle vignette, birth extracts and other administrative services.
Data relating to the use of electronic government (E-Gov) highlight differences in usage according to education level, age, income and employment status. They also help identify the main barriers reported by internet users who do not use these services.
The utilization rate of digital administrative services reaches 26.6% among men, compared with 26.5% among women, a gap of only 0.1 percentage point.
The survey results show a strong representation of people who have pursued university studies among users of digital administrative services.
People with university-level education account for 56.9% of users, followed by those with secondary education or vocational training, at 22.7%.
People with primary education account for 7.4%, while those without schooling account for 0.4%. Age also appears as an important factor in the use of online administrative services.
The highest rates are recorded among 25-34-year-olds, at 35.6%, followed closely by 18-24-year-olds at 35.2%. Among 35-44-year-olds, the rate reaches 29.5%, before dropping to 25.9% among 45-54-year-olds.
The decline is more pronounced in the older categories, with 16.3% among 55-59-year-olds and only 7.4% among 60-70-year-olds. The 10-17 age group shows, for its part, a utilization rate of 20.1%.
The income and employment status influence usage
The results also show differences according to income. Among internet users with a monthly income of 600 dinars or less, 21.8% use online administrative services. This rate rises to 36.6% for the income band between 1,500 and 2,499 dinars, then 37.8% for those earning 2,500 dinars or more.
The employment status also reveals gaps. The usage rate is 28.1% among the employed, compared with 25% among the inactive. The survey results also show a rate of 56.7% among telecommunications sector employees.
Geographic distribution highlights differences between districts. District 1 shows the highest utilization rate, at 31.2%, followed closely by District 3 at 31.1%. District 4 records a rate of 28%, while District 2 reaches 23.1%. District 5 presents the lowest level, at 18.3%. The gap between Districts 1 and 5 thus reaches 12.9 percentage points, according to the figures presented.
Why do some internet users not use E-Gov?
The results identify several barriers to using online administrative services. The main stated obstacle is the absence of need, mentioned in 52.1% of responses.
Next comes the lack of opportunity to use these services, with 21.6%, followed by the absence of a clear idea regarding the available services, cited in 13.7% of responses.
Other difficulties are also mentioned: 7.8% of responses indicate a lack of knowledge about how to use them, while 5.6% refer to lack of access or lack of need.
The complexity of procedures accounts for 3.4% of responses and the need for assistance to complete the steps, 3.3%.
Finally, 2.5% of responses mention a lack of trust in the security of the services and 2.2% a lack of interest.
These percentages correspond to the responses shown in the infographic and should not be added together as if they represented exclusive categories.
Usage that varies strongly according to profiles
Overall, the data show that the use of online administrative services remains a minority among the internet users surveyed.
While the gaps between men and women are almost nonexistent, more significant differences appear according to age, income, education level and geographic location.
The results also highlight that technical difficulties or distrust of security are not the most frequently cited barriers. The stated lack of need and the lack of opportunity to use these services occupy the top positions.
