User satisfaction with public services in Estonia ranks among the highest in the European Union, according to a new study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Commission, presented in Tallinn on Wednesday.

The report, titled “Measuring Resident Satisfaction with Key Public Services,” shows that 82 percent of Estonians are satisfied with public services they used during major life events — such as the birth of a child, marriage, buying a home, or the loss of a loved one. This figure is ten percentage points higher than the average for the ten European countries included in the survey. Only four percent of respondents in Estonia expressed dissatisfaction, half the European average of eight percent.

The survey also found that Estonia leads Europe in digital service delivery. Nearly three-quarters (72 percent) of residents prefer to use online channels to access public services, a figure well above that of other countries surveyed.

Conducted between October and November 2024, the study gathered responses from 1,520 public service users in Estonia who had experienced one of 15 specific “life events” in the previous year. Satisfaction was measured on a five-point scale, with scores of 4 and 5 indicating satisfaction, 3 representing neutrality, and 1–2 dissatisfaction.

According to Emilie Balbirnie, policy analyst at the OECD’s Directorate for Public Governance, Estonia stands out not only for its high overall satisfaction but also for the effectiveness of its services. “Nearly nine out of ten users — 88 percent — said they got what they wanted from the public service. This shows that the services are not only pleasant to use but also effective,” Balbirnie said during the presentation in Tallinn.

She emphasized Estonia’s remarkable performance in implementing the “once-only” principle for data submission — the idea that citizens should provide information to the government just once. “Eighty-five percent of Estonian users had to submit their data only once, compared with a European average of 63 percent. This is a truly significant difference and a clear example for other countries,” she added.

Satisfaction levels in Estonia are consistently high across age groups and between urban and rural residents. However, differences appear based on education and digital literacy. Among those with higher education, satisfaction reached 85 percent, compared to 79 percent among respondents with lower education levels. Similarly, people with strong digital skills were more satisfied (83 percent) than those less comfortable with technology (73 percent).

The OECD identified nine key factors shaping user experience and service quality, and Estonia exceeded the EU-10 average in all categories. Eighty-five percent of users said services met their needs (compared to 73 percent in the EU average), while accessibility, proactivity, speed, clarity, fairness, simplicity, and inter-agency cooperation all received scores well above the European mean.

Statistical analysis showed that overall satisfaction among Estonian residents is most strongly influenced by how well a service meets user needs, followed by the speed of service delivery and the smooth cooperation between agencies.

Although Estonia’s performance was among the strongest in the EU, the OECD’s “priorities matrix” highlighted two areas where improvements could yield the greatest gains in satisfaction: further simplifying procedures for citizens with lower digital skills and enhancing inter-agency data exchange to make public services even more seamless.

Estonia’s continued success in digital governance confirms its role as a European leader in e-government — a position built on decades of investment in accessibility, transparency, and user-centric design.