Digital Divide in Late-Life: Social Class, Regional Inequality across Europe, and E-Administration Engagement

• In Event: 30620 - Section on Inequality, Poverty, and Mobility Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 11: Social Class at Work and Everyday Life

Abstract

The expansion of e-government services, such as online tax filing and digital healthcare, offers efficiency gains but also risks deepening socio-economic inequalities, particularly among older adults. While digitalization initiatives aim to enhance accessibility, they may reinforce disparities due to differences in digital literacy, financial resources, and regional infrastructure. This study examines how social class and regional inequalities shape digital exclusion in later life across European countries, focusing on engagement with e-administration services.

Using data from multiple waves (2010–2023) of the Eurostat ICT Survey, we analyze three key dimensions of e-administration usage: accessing government information online, downloading official documents, and submitting applications electronically. We employ a multilevel modeling approach, integrating individual-level factors (education, income, and occupational status) with macro-level indicators from the EU Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) and national digital investment data. This allows us to assess disparities both within and across European countries over time.

Our findings reveal persistent digital inequalities among older individuals with lower education and income levels, despite overall increases in e-administration engagement. Regional disparities further compound exclusion, with those in less-developed areas facing greater barriers to digital public services. While digital inclusion efforts have expanded access, structural inequalities remain deeply entrenched, highlighting the limits of infrastructure investment alone in closing the digital divide.

Authors

• José David López Blanco, University of Bologna

• Marco Albertini, University of Bologna