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Percentage of Cypriots using e-government services dropped to 66% in 2023

by THEFUTURE.TEAM

September 25, 2024

In 2023, Cyprus was among the EU’s member states with the lowest percentage of citizens interacting with public authorities online (66%), staying close to the average of the EU (69%).

This figure was significantly higher than the country with the lowest score (Romania, 23%) but significantly lower than the highest scoring country (Denmark, 98%), according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the EU.

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The data shows a significant reduction compared to 2022, when the share for Cyprus stood at 90%. During the same period, there was a small increase in the EU level from 68% to 69%.

The data captures the share of EU citizens aged 16-74 that have used a website or an app of a public authority in the preceding 12 months.

The share varied greatly among EU countries, with the highest shares recorded in Denmark (98%), Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden (all 95%). In contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Romania (23%), Bulgaria (30%) and Germany (58%).

Looking at the different e-government activities in more detail reveals that, in 2023, 42% of people in the EU used e-government services in the previous 12 months to obtain information about services, benefits, laws, opening hours or similar. This was followed by the downloading or printing of official forms (40%), the accessing of personal information (39%), and the making of an appointment or a reservation and receiving official communication or documents (37% for both).

The share of individuals who submitted tax declarations online was somewhat lower at 29%. Similarly, the figures for accessing public databases or registers were 19%, while 18% of people requested official documents or certificates and 17% requested benefits or entitlements online.

In Cyprus, the activity with the largest share was obtaining information about services, benefits, laws, opening hours et cetera (50%), accessing personal information (43%), downloading or printing official forms (31%), requesting benefits or entitlements online (28%) and the accessing of public databases or registers (25%).

These were followed by submitting tax declarations online (23%), requesting official documents or certificates (22%), receiving official communication or documents (19%) and making appointments or reservations (15%).

Compared to 2022, the most significant change was the drop in receiving official communication or documents from 88% to 19%, with drops also recorded in accessing personal information (from 51% to 43%) and making appointments (from 32% to 15%). There was however an important increase in the share of citizens obtaining information (from 41% to 50%), requesting benefits or entitlements online (from 11% to 28%) and accessing public databases or registers (from 15% to 25%).

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Only 1% Of Cyprus Farms Use Precision Farming Technologies

Cyprus remains one of the European Union’s least digitised agricultural economies, with just 1% of farms using precision farming technologies in 2023, according to Eurostat.

The findings come as the EU continues to encourage the adoption of digital tools aimed at improving agricultural productivity, efficiency and sustainability.

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Internet Access Expands, But Digital Uptake Lags

Internet access has improved across the bloc, although adoption remains uneven. Eurostat found that 43% of EU farms had internet access in 2023, with northern and central European countries leading the way.

Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, the Czech Republic and Austria all reported internet access rates above 90%.

Greater connectivity, however, has not translated into widespread digital adoption. Farm management information systems, which help farmers manage day-to-day operations, were used by only about 11% of EU farms. France was a notable exception, with around 60% of farms using the technology.

Precision Farming Concentrated In Larger Operations

Robotics adoption also remained relatively limited, with only about 7% of EU farms using robotic technologies. Overall, around 18% of farms with utilised agricultural area employed at least one precision farming technology or practice in 2023.

These included robotics for plant protection, band spraying, variable-rate application, precision crop monitoring and soil analysis. Despite representing fewer than one in five farms, these holdings accounted for around 44% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area.

The figures suggest that precision farming remains concentrated among larger agricultural businesses, where investment in digital technologies is typically easier to support.

Cyprus Lags Behind EU Leaders

Luxembourg, Finland and Estonia recorded the highest shares of utilised agricultural area managed by farms using precision farming technologies, each exceeding 75%.

At the other end of the ranking, Cyprus recorded just 1%, while Greece and Romania reported between 10% and 15%. The results indicate that Cyprus remains at an early stage of digital adoption in agriculture, even as precision farming becomes more widespread across parts of the European Union.