Is E-government an opportunity for all? Identifying barriers and enablers of E-government use among older adults in Europe

The European Union faces the dual challenges of an ageing population and the rapid digital transformation of public services through e-government. Despite the relevance of this topic, research on older adults' use of e-government remains limited. Grounded in Van Dijk's Resources and Appropriation Theory , this study aims to address this gap by examining the barriers and enablers of e-government adoption in later life across Europe. Specifically, it maps trends in e-government use over time (RQ1) and evaluates the impact of older adults' personal characteristics (e.g., sex) and positional factors (e.g., digital skills), along with their interaction with contextual elements such as Internet quality (RQ2). We apply multilevel models to data from the European Community Statistics on Information Society – including the latest 2023 special module on e-government – and combine them with macro-level indicators from the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), an approach rarely adopted in previous research. Recognising the diversity within older populations, we conduct a novel cohort analysis distinguishing between pre-seniors (aged 55–64) and seniors (aged 65–74). Findings reveal that in 2023, 36.4 % of individuals aged 65–74 engaged with e-government services, compared to 52% of pre-seniors, underscoring persistent generational and regional divides. Older e-gov users tend to have higher education levels, digital proficiency, household income, and economic participation, with communicational digital skills emerging as a particularly significant factor. Additionally, the results highlight the complexity of e-government adoption in later life, e.g., sex is positively associated with e-government use only among those aged 65–74, while no significant association is found for those aged 55–64. This study underscores the risk that e-government may reinforce social inequalities by excluding vulnerable groups, such as older adults with lower education or income levels. It calls for targeted interventions at the European level to enhance digital skills, improve usability, and address age-specific barriers to ensure an inclusive digital transition.