In its third year, the Government Services Index (GSI), published by The KPI Institute (TKI), continues its mission to contribute to the improvement of government service delivery standards worldwide, providing a comprehensive evaluation framework to enhance efficiency and service quality for citizens. 

The GSI 2024 aims to serve as a vital tool for policymakers by providing a benchmark for assessing public service performance across countries and offering insights into service delivery strengths and weaknesses, thereby guiding better decision-making. Researchers can also benefit from its comprehensive data for further studies. By highlighting top performers and identifying areas for improvement, it encourages governments to adopt innovative practices and prioritize citizen-centric approaches.

The Index not only highlights top-performing nations in each region and dimension but also reflects a meticulous development process to ensure its rigor and reliability. Extensive research involved analyzing over 100 scholarly articles and 40 global indices to identify critical areas of public service quality. Additionally, a comprehensive review of more than 900 indicators was conducted to select the most relevant and credible measures. By aligning the GSI with internationally recognized indicators, it provides a robust framework for comparing government services across diverse regions. 

Key dimensions of the GSI 2024

Covering 122 countries–expanding from 107 countries in the GSI 2023–across five world regions: America, Europe, Asia and Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East, the GSI 2024 incorporates data from 30 carefully chosen indicators aligned with its five key dimensions: 

• Future Readiness – the capability of government entities and institutions to adjust, innovate, and efficiently respond to the changing demands and challenges of future societies
• Digitalization – the significance of leveraging technology and transforming how citizens engage with public services
• Governance – fulfilling the government’s responsibility to create and execute policies that foster national development while upholding efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, and integrity
• Society Welfare – the government’s initiatives to minimize inequalities and improve the quality of life for individuals and communities through various programs and policies
• Citizen Experience – the combination of interactions, perceptions, and experiences citizens have when engaging with government entities, including online platforms, in-person services, representative dealings, and civic participation

With its global reach and comprehensive methodology, the index empowers governments to enhance their services, ensuring they meet the dynamic needs of citizens in an ever-changing world by diving into the current performance of governments worldwide and providing a forward-looking assessment of their preparedness to tackle the challenges of 2025 and beyond.

Where do governments stand today?

In an era of rapid transformation driven by new technologies, emerging trends, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), governments worldwide are in continuous navigation of adapting to changes to deliver high-quality public services since societal needs are evolving as well. In the 2024 GSI, let’s explore a bit how governments are performing currently.

The Government Services Index (GSI) recognizes Finland, Denmark, and Singapore as the top three performers across five key dimensions of public service delivery, the same top-performing countries as in the GSI 2023. These countries are all classified as high-income, with two located in Europe and one in Asia and Oceania.

Finland ranks first globally in Governance (95.77) and Citizen Experience (96.31), while Singapore is the leader in Future Readiness (86.99). Denmark, though not ranking first in any specific area, excels in Digitalization (90.23) and Governance (95.70), securing second place in both. All three countries exceeded global and regional averages, with improved scores compared to the previous year.

The success of these nations can be attributed to their effective governance, advanced digitalization efforts, and comprehensive social policies. Citizens in these countries express strong confidence in their government’s ability to foster prosperity and improve well-being.

Finland is renowned for its transparent and inclusive governance that provides high-quality services, supporting employment, safety, and overall quality of life. The country’s focus on digitalization has minimized bureaucratic hurdles, which enables self-service and fostering a connected society. Furthermore, Finland upholds a human rights-centered foreign policy that promotes equality and prevents exclusion.

Offering efficient public services through advanced digital administration, Denmark stands out for its commitment to digitalization. Its government’s emphasis on digital infrastructure and cybersecurity, along with strategies that encourage democratic engagement and social inclusion, strengthens public service performance. Moreover, Denmark’s universal welfare model ensures equal access to essential services, effectively reducing inequality.

Singapore is recognized for its strategic planning and forward-thinking approach. The government prioritizes adaptability, introducing new policies to improve resilience. By investing in sustainability, digitalization, and future-ready skills, Singapore is capitalizing on growth opportunities and preparing its citizens for the future. The country’s citizen-centric governance ensures high-quality services and increasingly fosters active citizen participation.

To learn more about the detailed rankings, trends, and strategies shaping the future of government services, download the full free digital copy of the Government Services Index 2024 through the TKI Marketplace. An additional printed copy can be also purchased via Amazon. Get the report today!

The United States ranks first worldwide in embracing digitalization to improve the growth and well-being of society, according to The KPI Institute’s Government Services Index 2022.

With a pillar score of 0.9059, the US emerged as the top performer in four out of five indicators:  government procurement of advanced technology products, availability of latest technologies, cost of redundancy dismissal, online e-participation, and e-government development.

Norway topped the list in terms of fixed broadband subscriptions and came second overall in the digitalization dimension. The other three frontrunners in digitalization are the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.

“The pandemic has prompted a quantum leap into online and digital environments that governments worldwide need to adapt to. A ‘digital access for all landscape’ has become the new normal in the post-pandemic world. As part of this landscape digitally empowered governments need to secure broader access to digital connectivity, apply human centric design approaches in both digital and physical environments, develop robust digital data infrastructures to ensure smoother operations,” the report states.

The Government Services Index 2022, a pragmatic review of public service performance in the post-pandemic era, covers seven world regions, 66 countries, five dimensions, and 32 indicators. Apart from digitalization, the four other dimensions in which countries are assessed are adaptability, talent, governance, and impact.

Adaptability refers to “the ability to adapt to changes to develop a flexible public service apparatus” while governance “reflects on the public services as an enabler of the government to implement its policies and provide key services for the population.” Talent examines “how learning and knowledge are built inside the public services environment, as well as to the quality of talent available on the national labor market.” Governance examines “the public services as an enabler of the government to implement its policies and provide key services for the population.”

“With the advent of smart devices, sensors and drones the number of ‘machines,’ or otherwise ‘computers’ has exploded. It thus becomes a mission of the highly digitized government to increasingly look into encouraging human interactions with such physical technology so as to reduce redundancy and foster new labor opportunities. The latter would have to be tied into growing IT talent, moving towards having human resources managing code environments and systems, technological robots and devices, setting standards, providing security and supporting implementation.”

Download The Government Services Index 2022 for free here. For inquiries regarding the Index, contact Marcela Presecan, Head of Research:  [email protected], or +61 (390) 282 223.