Digital Government Outlook 2026: From Foundations to Transformational Impact

OECD

doi:https://doi.org/10.1787/0496b2bc-en

Digital Government Outlook 2026

From Foundations to Transformational Impact

Report

15 June 2026

Available in:

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Introduction

People expect their government to act quickly, adapt to change and respond effectively, putting pressure on public institutions to keep up. Digital technologies and data are integral to meeting these demands: they have become core infrastructure for governments to perform and address today's policy and service delivery challenges.

This report presents results from the OECD Digital Government Index (DGI) and the Open, Useful and Re-usable Data Index (OURdata), illustrating how governments across 36 OECD countries and 8 accession countries have been improving coherent, effective and human-centred digital transformation in government in recent years.

Key figures

69%

of OECD countries have made more than half of their online services accessible by using a digital identity

75%

of OECD countries do not evaluate whether investments in digital technologies and AI deliver intended results

92%

of OECD countries have an AI‑in‑government strategy

OECD indices on digital government show progress across countries, but implementation remains a challenge

The OECD DGI and OURdata indices measure the maturity and performance of digital government. Both show clear improvements since 2023: the DGI average score for OECD countries rose by 9 percentage points (p.p.) and the OURdata Index, by 5 p.p. The largest advances are in how countries govern and use data, design services around users, and adopt AI across policy domains. But governments are much better at developing digital strategies than at implementing or monitoring them. The challenge is to turn a strong digital foundation into everyday practice.

Digital foundations are in place, but governments must now build on them

Most OECD countries now have core digital infrastructure in place. Digital identity governance is largely established, and all countries have government data strategies. However, gaps remain in fully unlocking their value. Most countries have data interoperability systems, but only two‑thirds see widespread adoption across government, and digital identity still does not ensure straightforward access to public services. Realising the full benefits of these foundations will require broadening adoption, better data governance and reuse, and ensuring these foundations work together as a coherent system.

Governments are rapidly adopting AI, but need to match this ambition with smarter rules and capabilities

AI is now used in almost every government in the OECD, mostly to improve internal processes and public services. Most countries have strategies, dedicated institutions and training programmes in place. However, the foundations for using AI safely and at scale can be strengthened. Few governments assess whether AI tools deliver results, procurement support is limited, and tools such as risk assessments and transparency registers remain rare. The challenge for governments now is to match the pace of adoption with well‑designed governance, digital capabilities, and evidence.

Management of digital investments and digital skills is improving, but not yet aligned with how digital technologies are delivered today

Governments are improving how they plan, fund and manage digital projects, with more robust governance, procurement guidance and investment in digital skills. However, budgeting and oversight systems still follow traditional approaches that are not suited to the iterative ways in which digital technologies are developed and deployed. Only one in four OECD countries evaluates whether digital investments deliver the expected results. Efforts to build skills are growing but fragmented, with only six countries having a dedicated digital workforce strategy. Striking the right balance between outsourcing and in‑house expertise also remains an important challenge.

What can governments do?

Governments should make shared digital infrastructure, such as data-sharing systems, digital identity and common platforms, a standard part of how governments work every day. This shared digital infrastructure should be backed by clear rules, sustainable funding, strong data governance and user-centric design approaches that put people's needs and control at the centre, building the trust needed for their scalable adoption and use.

Governments should move beyond AI strategies and pilots by putting in place the practical conditions for safe, large‑scale use, including clear accountability, reliable data, transparent processes, smarter procurement support and systematic evaluation of what AI is achieving in practice, in particular as governments explore the use of agentic AI.

Governments should make public services easier to use by setting clear standards that apply everywhere, tracking where people get stuck, involving those hardest to reach in how services are designed, joining up services so people don't have to navigate between agencies, and using data and AI to offer help before people have to ask for it.

Governments should adopt delivery‑oriented governance models that allow them to fund in stages, learn as they go, strengthen oversight and evaluation to check if investments are delivering intended results, make smarter decisions about building or buying technology, and invest in the digital teams and skills needed to turn digital foundations into sustained operational performance.

Country notes

United Kingdom