Publicis Sapient's Digital Citizen Report 2024 has revealed an 85% jump in the number of Australians experiencing financial hardship over the past year, with lower-income households are less likely to utilise online government services compared to their higher-income counterparts.

The report, which surveyed 5,061 respondents across a broad range of demographic groups, found that 33% of households earning less than $100k struggled to find, use or understand online government services, compared to 23% of higher-income households. A 10% gap was also identified between higher and lower earners in the use of myGovID and digital wallets.

The report also highlighted lower engagement with digital services among the unemployed, lower-income households, and those without a university education. This disparity was 16 points lower among unemployed citizens compared to employed citizens, and 11 points lower among lower-income households and those without a university education.

Data privacy concerns among Australians have risen by 11% this year, with 48% of respondents expressing concern compared to 37% in 2023. Trust in the government's ability to protect personal data has notably declined in recent years, particularly among under-45s, with 59% losing trust.

However, the report also found that 55% of Australians are supportive of the government using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve services, with particularly high support among under-45s (65%) and high-income households (62%).

"The third edition of our landmark survey reveals that Government digital services are clearly effective with the vast majority of Australians who engage with online services being satisfied. There is, however, a growing digital divide which needs to be addressed. More needs to be done to increase adoption and reach sections of the public to ensure the services benefit all Australians, in particular those that need them the most." said VP and Industry Lead, Public Sector at Publicis Sapient ANZ Steven Metzmacher.

"Australians are broadly satisfied and supportive of the work that the government is doing. There are clearly areas for improvement which the government should continue to pursue to build a stronger, simpler and more accessible digital government for everyone." Metzmacher said. "When citizens worry about their data privacy and security, it dampens their enthusiasm for digital services and can slow down adoption rates. Security, privacy and data governance are foundational to the government’s digital agenda - and clear, reassuring communication about safety measures is just as critical."