OECD survey shows digitization target not even close to being met

It was a step forward for Sweden when the OECD last week presented the report Digital Government Index 2023, which is an international comparison of the digitization of public administrations in 38 countries. The comparison is based on what is considered to be a digitally mature administration according to the OECD framework.  

Given the importance of digitalization in creating opportunities to increase efficiency in the public sector, the OECD report should have received media attention.

The evaluation is based on the six dimensions of the framework: 

- Digital by design - digital first  

- Government as a platform - public sector as a platform  

- Data-driven public sector - data-driven public sector  

- Open by default - transparency by default  

- User-driven - user-driven  

- Proactiveness - proactivity 

The survey covers 33 OECD countries and five other countries, with Sweden ranked 27th out of 38. It is certainly gratifying that Sweden is taking a step up when it comes to the data-driven public sector, where we are now in 10th place. Otherwise, we receive consistently low scores and fall below average in all other areas.  

Korea, Denmark and the UK are at the top, and all our Nordic neighbours perform above average. This is a tough reality, given that the goal of digitalisation policy is for Sweden to be the best in the world at using the opportunities offered by digitalisation. Even in the area where the government has the greatest opportunity to influence, central government, the results are not impressive. One consolation is that the results for Sweden are better than the corresponding survey in 2019, when we were last in the overall results and among the last in all six dimensions, but we still have a long way to go to achieve a digitally mature administration.  

Some work is underway today, such as the development of a new digitization strategy, investments in a digital infrastructure for healthcare and a focus on AI through the AI Commission, but it needs to be translated into rapid concrete actions if we are to move up the rankings in the next measurement.  

The ongoing digital transformation is happening at a fast pace and other countries are running ahead. Sweden's slowness when it comes to effective digitization of the public sector is evident. This is in stark contrast to the digital transformation and innovative capacity of the business sector, where Sweden ranks very highly. It is important that we take advantage of the opportunities of digitization in the public sector and use the ability of the business sector to create leverage effects. We need not only a clear political will to raise ambitions, but also sharp proposals and national investments to be among the top rankings and above all for the benefit of citizens, the public sector and the welfare.