Degree of Digitalization and Citizen Satisfaction: A Study of the Role of Local e‑Government in Sweden

Abstract

The aim was to investigate whether there is a relationship between degree of e‑government in Swedish municipalities and perceived satisfaction among citizens generally. This is a large‑scale quantitative study based on valid and reliable Swedish national surveys. Based on these surveys, a new comprehensive index for measuring “degree of digitalization” was constructed. Citizen satisfaction was measured using established indices covering three dimensions: satisfaction with living in the municipality, satisfaction with performance of government activities (delivered services), and satisfaction with transparency and influence. The results show that there is a relationship between the degree of digitalization in a municipality and the perceived satisfaction among its citizens. The degree of digitalization is related to all three dimensions of citizen satisfaction. Additionally, this study indicates that the strength of this relationship is in parity with or even stronger than the relationship between citizen satisfaction and other crucial factors such as educational level and median income.