• 165 of 579 OZG services have been implemented throughout Germany
• 9 out of 10 Germans would like to see faster digitisation in their local communities
• Two-thirds want more powers for the federal government
• Smart Country Convention from 30 September to 2 October in Berlin

In Germany, 349 of 579 administrative services are offered digitally: some nationwide, but some only in a single municipality. 199 have been implemented in more than half of German cities and municipalities. 165 have been rolled out nationwide, while 230 services under the Online Access Act are not yet available digitally. These are the findings of an evaluation by the digital association Bitkom at the Smart Country Convention in Berlin. The situation is somewhat better for administrative procedures that are particularly frequently requested by citizens: the 13 so-called focus services, such as parental allowance and marriage, are all digitally implemented in at least 10 per cent of municipalities, two of them even nationwide: citizen’s income and naturalisation. At the same time, half of citizens (50 per cent) in a representative survey of 1,005 people aged 18 and over commissioned by Bitkom attest to their city or municipality having an advanced level of digitalisation. 70 per cent trust their local administration to handle digitalisation competently – but 90 per cent would like to see it pursued with even greater vigour. Among younger people aged 18 to 29, the figure is as high as 95 per cent, but even among older people aged 65 and over, the proportion is 85 per cent. ‘We are making progress with digitalisation in cities and municipalities, but people want to see faster progress,’ says Bitkom President Dr Ralf Wintergerst. ‘We could be much faster if we didn’t reinvent the digital wheel everywhere, but instead quickly rolled out solutions that work.’

The Smart Country Convention will take place in Berlin from 30 September to 2 October, focusing on these topics. The event will bring together 18,000 representatives from politics, business, cities, municipalities and public authorities. The aim is to accelerate the digitisation of administration at federal, state and local level and to promote the use of smart city solutions. This is because people care about specific digital services in their own city or municipality. For example, 82 per cent would like to see smart street lights, 76 per cent would like an app that allows them to report defects in public spaces to the relevant authorities, 70 per cent would like real-time information on buses and trains, and 65 per cent would like information on parking spaces. 61 per cent would like Wi-Fi in public places, and 57 per cent would like an online dashboard with data about their city, such as air quality. And 53 per cent would find smart rubbish bins that notify them when they are full important. 53 per cent would like a digital platform for citizen participation. Overall, 62 per cent believe that citizens should be more involved in digital projects in their city or region.

Dr Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digitalisation and State Modernisation, says: “We need more momentum in the digitisation of public administration. Citizens and businesses in our country should finally feel that real progress is being made – not just in isolated cases. Many administrative services are in the hands of the federal states and local authorities, so we want to work closely with them. Work with the first pilot municipalities has begun. We are listening very carefully to where the problems lie and will work together to find tailor-made solutions. Our goal is to develop a blueprint for the whole of Germany so that we can move forward more quickly.‘

Dr Mario Tobias, CEO of Messe Berlin, says: ’People are actively demanding digitalisation, as demonstrated not least by the new study by the digital association Bitkom. The Smart Country Convention is the ideal place to bring together all the relevant players to jointly accelerate the digital transformation in the public sector. The patronage of Federal Digital Minister Dr Karsten Wildberger and the strong presence of the newly founded Digital Ministry impressively demonstrate how important the SCCON is as a platform for politics, administration, business and science.”

Hardly anyone wants to visit the office in person, but there is a lack of digital services

Even today, citizens would prefer to complete 11 out of 14 common administrative services – from renewing their ID card to registering and deregistering their residence to applying for a driving licence – online rather than in person at a government office. Only three services are preferred to be completed in person. Most people want to get married at the registry office or another location rather than online: 67 per cent prefer to go to the registry office, compared to 25 per cent who would rather get married online. When it comes to divorce, the urge to meet in person is slightly less pronounced, but still predominant: with 52 per cent, a narrow majority want to go to the registry office to get divorced, while 29 per cent prefer to end their marriage online. And 55 per cent prefer to file a report in person, while 43 per cent are satisfied with the police’s online station.

However, only 13 per cent have ever applied for an administrative service digitally. The most common form of digital contact with a public authority is making an appointment online for a personal visit. 54 per cent have had contact by email, and 36 per cent have filled out a contact form on a website. Seven per cent have had a virtual consultation via video call and another seven per cent have used a chatbot on the website. However, around a quarter (24 per cent) have never had any digital contact with public authorities.

The main reason for visiting a public authority in person is that the service requested was not available online or that a personal visit was required (66 per cent). Another 12 per cent tried online first, but encountered technical problems. Six per cent went to the office because they found the online service too complicated, and 1 per cent simply forgot to check whether an online service was available. Only 8 per cent deliberately chose to visit in person because they needed advice, while 4 per cent generally prefer to attend appointments in person. ‘If we succeed in creating more online services, everyone will benefit. This will give on-site staff more time to provide advice and assist those who simply need more support,’ says Wintergerst.

Digitalisation should make government offices more citizen-friendly

Currently, many people are dissatisfied with the services provided by government offices, which are often still analogue. 85 per cent complain that authorities generally take too long to process a request. Just as many would like to be able to see the current status and how long it is likely to take until a decision is made at any time while an application is being processed. 82 per cent expect authorities to automatically contact them when they are entitled to a service or to remind them, for example, in good time before their ID card expires. Seventy-one percent are in favour of greater data exchange between authorities so that they do not have to provide the same information over and over again. And almost two-thirds support the proposal that contact with authorities should largely only be possible digitally in order to save costs and make processes more efficient. “In the long run, we cannot afford to duplicate every process: digital and analogue. Digital only should become the guiding principle of administration. At the same time, we must take those who still struggle with digital services by the hand,” says Wintergerst.

But even where digital services are available, there is still work to be done. For example, 70 per cent of those who made an appointment online were satisfied with it (2024: 66 per cent). However, only 53 per cent were satisfied with contact via website forms (2024: 55 per cent), 49 per cent with email (2024: 51 per cent), 39 per cent with chatbots (2024: 30 per cent) and 36 per cent with virtual consultation hours (2024: 27 per cent). Online applications for administrative services also received a better rating than in the previous year. However, with a satisfaction rate of 37 per cent (2024: 31 per cent), it still lags far behind. ‘It’s not enough to just digitise somehow. The digital state must create positive experiences for citizens,’ says Wintergerst.

Eight out of ten Germans (79 per cent) believe that Germany still has a lot to learn from other countries when it comes to the digitisation of cities and municipalities. Currently, only 3 per cent see German authorities as leaders in digitisation in a global comparison, while 11 per cent see Germany as at least among the frontrunners. However, 72 per cent see them as lagging behind, and 9 per cent even consider them to be far behind.

Two-thirds want more influence from the federal government – and a reform of federalism

To change this, three-quarters (75 per cent) are calling for Germany to invest significantly more money in the digitalisation of public administration. Almost as many (76 per cent) would like to see a focus on German and European technologies. But people are not only concerned with investment, but also with reforms. Around two-thirds (69 per cent) would like the federal government to have more influence on the digitisation of offices and authorities in the federal states and municipalities in order to speed up the process. And 65 per cent are convinced that Germany needs federalism reform. There is widespread praise for the new federal government’s decision to create a separate ministry for the digitalisation of public administration in the form of the Ministry for Digitalisation and State Modernisation: 64 per cent think this is a good move. However, only a narrow majority (51 per cent) expect the new government to really succeed in significantly advancing the digitalisation of public administration. ‘With the establishment of the independent Ministry for Digitalisation and State Modernisation, which has also taken on the patronage of the Smart Country Convention, the federal government is sending an important signal of change. Now it is time to really pick up the pace of administrative digitalisation,’ says Wintergerst.

Smart Country Convention showcases digital solutions for the public sector

How to advance the digitisation of administrations and make cities and regions smart is the topic of the Smart Country Convention, the leading event for the digitisation of the public sector. From 30 September to 2 October, more than 18,000 experts from business, politics, administration and research will gather at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds to discuss current challenges for the public sector. More than 650 high-profile speakers are expected on a total of seven stages, including Dr Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digitalisation and State Modernisation, Karin Prien, Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth, Andrea Nahles, Chairwoman of the Federal Employment Agency, Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, Chief Digital Officer of Deutsche Bahn AG, and Aletta von Massenbach, Chairwoman of the Management Board at Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH (BER). Visitors can also expect over 400 exhibitors and a wide range of training opportunities directly on site. The combination of congress, workshops, expo and networking is aimed at decision-makers and employees from administration, politics, the digital economy, associations and science.

Note on methodology: The information is based on a survey conducted by Bitkom Research on behalf of the digital association Bitkom. A total of 1,005 people in Germany aged 18 and over were interviewed by telephone. The survey took place between calendar weeks 27 and 32 of 2025. The survey is representative.