Two thirds of people polled say they struggle with online French admin
The problem has worsened in the past 10 years as more and more services ‘go digital’, finds study
61% of people across all ages and social categories say they “sometimes or often” encounter difficulties when completing online admin
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Almost two thirds of people polled in France say they struggle to complete online administrative processes amid the increasing digitisation of official documents and procedures.
The study*, by the French Défenseur des Droits, also found that a higher percentage of people are now struggling in comparison to a decade ago.
The Défenseur des Droits is an independent office in France dedicated to the rights and freedoms of citizens in dealings with public administrations. Claire Hédon is currently the Défenseure.
Administrative procedures include important processes such as:
The digitisation of many processes is intended to make them easier and simpler to complete, but many people report difficulties.
Difficulties compounded
The results show that 61% of people polled across all ages and social categories say they “sometimes or often” encounter difficulties when completing online administrative procedures. The study also shows that the problem is worsening; only 44% of people overall said they had difficulties in 2016.
72% of users said they found it difficult to find extra information, or details of how to make a real-life appointment
52% said they encountered a lack of information or incorrect information
47% said they said they had not managed to get a response, or received a late response
46% said they found the process too complicated
Plus, some groups are disproportionately affected:
69% of people in financial difficulty say they encounter problems
68% of people with disabilities
62% of unemployed people
62% of manual workers and employees
Overall, just over half of people polled (51%) said they cannot do their online administration without help.
Alternatives?
The study also asked where people turn after encountering difficulties online. It showed:
The study added that 23% of people had given up on applying for a right as a result of online difficulties, which the Défenseure warns amounts to a “loss of rights”.
There is a desire to bypass digital technology when faced with obstacles, said Ms Hédon.
“This survey documents what the Défenseur des droits observes every day in our offices, on our telephone lines, and in exchanges with complainants: the remoteness of public services, with difficulties that undermine confidence in institutions and too often lead to the renunciation of rights,” she said.
Rights recommendations
After the study, Ms Hédon made a series of recommendations for improvements.
Guaranteeing multiple methods of accessing public services, including alternatives to digital options (e.g. visiting a service desk, submitting a paper application, or sending a letter)
Ensuring that procedures are accessible to all, including providing clear and understandable information, simplifying digital interfaces and ensuring the accessibility of public websites, particularly for people with disabilities
She also recommended increased transparency in administrative procedures, such as better explanations of decisions, and a clear right to appeal.
She also called for:
Online admin in France
Important administrative procedures in France are increasingly ‘going online’, with more and more processes requiring digital literacy and internet access. The majority of the time these are fully digital and do not require users to print out documents or physically attend an appointment.
To use these services, people are usually required to log into an online space with an account they have created with an account name (or email address) and password.
Many of these systems also use a ‘FranceConnect’ account. This service uses a single username and password, and permits use of over 1,400 websites - including many official government sites such as registering a vehicle, and the Service Public help site.
This saves having to remember account information for different services. Login details from official partner sites can also be used and/or linked.
You can read more about FranceConnect, how to use it, and who can create an account, and who is not eligible, in our articles linked here, and on the official FranceConnect page here (in French).
*The study, undertaken with polling agency Ipsos, was published on October 13. It polled 5,030 people from a representative sample of people in France aged 18-79, between October 2024 and January 2025. It is the latest iteration of an annual study that began in 2016.
