The use of the internet, online services and other digital tools continued to rise in 2023, but 40% of Belgians remain digitally vulnerable – the same level as before the Covid-19 crisis.
Four in ten Belgians do not use the internet and as a result are severely limited in their ability to access online services and information, according to the latest Digital Inclusion Barometer, commissioned by the King Baudouin Foundation (KBS).
"Things are still moving too fast," said researcher Koen Ponnet (UGent). "It is up to the banks and the government to take responsibility and ensure that everyone can follow, or can seek help. Not everyone has a network where they can go with questions."
The rapid digitisation of our society has not brought with it a commensurate increase in digital skills, the KBS warned. "Many people – especially those who are also already vulnerable socially, economically and culturally – are still unable to take full advantage of the increasing digitalisation of our society."
Rapid and constant evolution
The previous barometer (for 2021) showed that 46% of the population was digitally vulnerable. In 2019 (before the digital acceleration of the Covid period) 40% were also digitally vulnerable.
The KBS now notes that 5% of the country never surfs the internet and another 35% lack digital literacy. While Belgium is making progress, it remains below the European average and well below the level of its neighbours.
Strikingly, a quarter of people living in households with less than €1,400 a month only have a smartphone to go online – making it difficult to do administration or prepare a job application. As well as smartphones, 93% of high-income households have computers and tablets .
The level of digital vulnerability in Belgium has remained relatively stable over the years. "The rapid and constant evolution of digital technologies is not followed by an acceleration of skills," the KBS noted.
© Ilya Pavlov for Unsplash
Online security is a particular issue: 28% know nothing about it, and another 30% rate their knowledge as limited. And although online crime can have major consequences, only a quarter say they worry about their online safety.
Moreover, the KBS called it a "myth" that all young people are digital natives – more than half of young people without higher education have poor digital skills, compared to 10% among their highly-educated peers. Compared to the previous barometer, that gap has more than doubled.
The slow progress in the figures "makes it clear that the digital world is and will remain inaccessible to many individuals, especially those in socially, economically and culturally vulnerable positions," said the KBF, adding that this will not improve substantially in the short term.
The foundation argued that digital inclusion should continue to be promoted, but also "high-quality alternatives to online services – such as face-to-face or telephone contacts – should continue to be offered."
