Digital Government Outlook 2026

Executive summary

Governments are operating in an increasingly demanding environment of rapid change, shaped by economic uncertainty, demographic pressures, rising public expectations, and rapid technological change such as the advance of artificial intelligence (AI). At the same time, fiscal constraints, an ageing civil service and burdensome internal processes limit governments’ ability to respond effectively.

The effective use of digital technologies and data offers a critical pathway to address many of these pressures. However, public trust in their governments' use of data and new technology remains fragile: only 52% of people across 30 OECD countries trust their government to use their personal data for “legitimate purposes”. This highlights that progress in digital government depends not only on technology, but also on strong governance, skilled workforces and credible safeguards.

This first OECD Digital Government Outlook assesses progress in digital government across OECD Member and accession candidate countries and identifies where further effort is needed, drawing on the results of the 2025 Digital Government Index and the Open, Useful, and Re-usable Data Index.

The Outlook shows that, since the last stocktaking in 2023, governments have made significant progress in building the foundations of digital government, including shared infrastructure, interoperable systems and open data frameworks. The challenge now is to move beyond these foundations to deliver transformational impact for people and businesses. This includes filling important gaps in several areas, including institutional capabilities, governance mechanisms and workforce skills.

The Outlook highlights four priority areas for the next phase of digital government:

Moving from foundations to widely adopted interoperable systems and broader data sharing

OECD countries have made real progress in building digital foundations in government. Core, interoperable systems such as data-sharing platforms, digital identity, single digital gateways and cloud infrastructure are now widely available. These foundations make it easier for different parts of government to work together, respond rapidly and operate more efficiently. The challenge now is to ensure these systems are more widely adopted and used effectively across institutions to deliver visible benefits, including simpler and more efficient interactions between people and government. This means, for example, making digital identity easy to use and trustworthy so that more people adopt it, as well as increasing the quality and sharing of government-held data so that they can be effectively reused. Privacy and security standards are nearly universal across the OECD, but the operational data-management practices needed to ensure data quality, interoperability and trusted sharing are yet to follow at the same pace. Today, only 63% of public institutions across OECD countries, on average, are sharing data within government through their national data interoperability system, which are a critical component of a proactive and responsive government. Making better use of existing foundations will also support the trustworthy use of AI and help governments provide more joined-up, human-centred public services.

Strengthening investment and skills to deliver impact

OECD countries are making steady progress in how they plan and fund digital transformation. Most now assess digital projects before they start, provide dedicated funding for digital technologies and offer clear guidance on how to procure them. These steps matter, but much of the potential impact remains unrealised. Governments that fund digital projects in stages, learning from and building on what works, are better able to adapt to new technologies, redirect resources to high-impact areas and avoid locking in costly mistakes. Stronger evaluation is likewise essential: only one in four countries systematically assess whether completed digital projects delivered the results they promised. Closing this gap would help governments learn from experience, improve future decisions and show taxpayers that public money is being used well. Digital skills in the public sector are just as critical, yet only six OECD countries have a dedicated strategy for developing digital skills among civil servants. Without the right people in place, governments struggle to oversee the responsible use of AI, manage complex relationships with technology suppliers and sustain digital reforms over the long term. A more strategic approach to digital talent is therefore a basic condition for turning digital investment into lasting public value.

Scaling the adoption of trustworthy AI in government

In almost every OECD country, AI is already being used in at least one area of government, and most have established dedicated strategies, oversight bodies and training programmes to support its adoption. This marks an important shift from experimentation to early integration and puts governments on a solid footing for the next phase. The priority now is to create the conditions that allow AI to provide reliable results at scale. More targeted training is needed for specific roles in public services and policymaking, where readiness remains low. More practical support for AI procurement – currently available in just over half of OECD countries – would help governments better manage suppliers, clarify data ownership and control long-term costs. Reinforcing safeguards before and after systems are deployed, alongside open algorithm registers, can strengthen transparency and accountability, which are essential for public trust. Most critically, governments need to invest in measuring results: with only 28% of countries systematically assessing the impact of AI use, many lack the evidence needed to distinguish promising pilots from solutions that are ready to be deployed across the public sector.

Delivering more joined-up and user-centred public services

OECD countries have made solid progress in establishing whole-of-government service standards, involving users more consistently and investing in digital service delivery. These efforts provide a strong foundation; however, to ensure they lead to better, more reliable experiences for people and businesses, governments need to apply service standards to routine decisions such as budget approvals and service redesign processes. Only 28% of OECD countries systematically measure the burdens services impose on users, suggesting user engagement should be expanded to reach those who face the greatest barriers. The results of user engagement should feed into continuous improvement: strengthening feedback loops is essential to understand what works, identify obstacles early and make user-centred improvements a routine practice rather than a one-off initiative. Digital government authorities also play a critical role in improving co-ordination across agencies and ministries by connecting service channels and sharing individuals’ data securely, sparing users from having to provide the same information repeatedly. Better linked data can enable more proactive services that anticipate needs before people have to ask, further reducing time, effort and frustration.