Changes over time in migrants’ access to digital services and self-assessed digital skills in Finland

Abstract Background The digitalisation of social and healthcare services is accelerating, offering new opportunities to improve accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and responsiveness of services. However, previous research shows that not all population groups have equal possibilities or skills to use digital services effectively. Digital exclusion particularly affects vulnerable groups, including migrants, due to factors such as language barriers, limited digital literacy, and lack of access to technology. This study explores changes in migrants’ access to digital services over time (2018 and 2022) and self-assessed digital skills in Finland. Methods We used four nationally representative cross-sectional data sets: FinMonik (2018-2019, n = 6836; response rate 53.1%) and MoniSuomi (2022-2023, n = 7838; response rate 44.1%) for the foreign-born population, and FinSote and Terve Suomi surveys as reference data for the general population. The analyses were limited to those aged 20-64-years. The percentages and averages in the results are weighted to account for non-response and varying sampling probabilities across strata. The results were further adjusted for age and sex, enabling a comparison of access to digital services and digital skills between migrant populations and the Finnish general population. Results Most migrants had access to digital services on the technical way, the majority have smartphones (98%), access to the internet (94%), and the necessary strong authentication tools (95%) in 2023, and the proportions have increased since 2018. In self-assessed digital skills, there were significant differences both between migrant background groups and between migrants and the general population, with migrants reporting lower levels overall. Conclusions While supply of digital services has increased, migrant populations still report lower self-assessed digital skills compared to the general population, with notable variations across different migrant background groups. Key messages • Digital services should be applied to the situations to which they fit, corresponding to the service needs and the client's digital skills. • To strengthen digital skills, approaches that consider the learner's life situation and provide opportunities to use their native language are essential.