In short:
- In France, 15% of the population aged 15 and over is in a situation of digital illiteracy according to Insee, for lack of basic digital skills or internet use.
- The phenomenon rises sharply with age: 2% of 15-24 year-olds against 62% of those aged 75 and over.
- 29% of French people completed no dematerialised administrative procedure in twelve months, a share that rises to 58% among people with no qualifications.
- For a local authority, the response rests as much on the design of online procedures as on the human support that remains necessary.
Digital illiteracy refers to the difficulty or inability to use digital tools independently. Used for several years in public studies, it has become widespread as services, both public and private, have made digital use a condition of access.
What is digital illiteracy
According to the French national agency for combating illiteracy (Anlci), digital illiteracy refers to a lack of mastery of digital skills: knowledge of the digital environment, and practical skill in using hardware and software. The survey on information and communication technologies (ICT) that Insee runs for Eurostat uses a more operational definition: a person is considered digitally illiterate if they lack basic digital skills (searching for information online, communicating, using software, protecting their privacy, solving a problem online), or if they have not used the internet in the past three months.
The term is sometimes used interchangeably with e-exclusion or a lack of basic digital skills, which describe the same reality. It differs from a lack of equipment or network coverage: a well-equipped person can still be digitally illiterate if they do not know how to use the tools, just as a skilled person can be held back by missing equipment.
How many people are affected in France
According to Insee’s 2021 ICT survey, 15% of the population aged 15 and over is in a situation of digital illiteracy in France. On top of this, a wider share of the population has fragile digital skills: 28% of internet users report lacking at least one of the five skills measured, with privacy protection being the least mastered area.
Prevalence rises sharply with age
Age is the most discriminating factor, according to data published by Insee.
| Age group | Share affected by digital illiteracy |
|---|---|
| 15-24 | 2% |
| 60 and over | More than a third |
| 75 and over | 62% |
Educational level widens the gap
Educational level also plays a significant role. According to the 2022 digital barometer run by Crédoc for Arcep, CGE, Arcom and Anct, 29% of French people completed no dematerialised administrative procedure in the past twelve months, a share that rises to 58% among people with no qualifications.
The causes of digital illiteracy
Several factors combine: age, as generations who did not grow up with these tools must learn uses built for others; initial education level, which often determines the acquisition of basic digital skills; access to reliable equipment and a stable connection, uneven in rural areas and low-income households; and a lack of support in education or career paths, compounded by psychological barriers such as a loss of confidence in the face of constantly changing interfaces.
Everyday consequences
Digital illiteracy first weighs on access to rights: income tax returns, registering with France Travail or applying for a welfare benefit are now almost entirely dematerialised, and a person who cannot manage these procedures struggles to exercise their rights, regardless of their eligibility. It also hampers employment, as most jobs now require at least minimal digital tool use, and fuels social isolation as well as a dependence on family and friends to handle simple procedures.
Digital illiteracy and illiteracy: what is the difference
The two concepts are close but distinct. Illiteracy refers to difficulty reading, writing or doing arithmetic among people who attended school in France. Digital illiteracy specifically concerns digital skills, and can affect people who are otherwise comfortable with reading and writing.
The two nonetheless overlap significantly: according to an Anlci observatory report published in September 2024, people with severe basic-skills difficulties use the internet daily less often (72% versus 92%) and are twice as likely to have carried out no online administrative procedure independently (39% versus 15%).
What local authorities can do
For a local authority, digital illiteracy is not only a matter of individual training: it also questions the design of the digital services it offers. Part of this subject has already been covered on this blog around online procedures at town halls, whose take-up plateaus when the processing behind the form stays manual. Digital illiteracy adds a further constraint: even a well-designed service remains out of reach for part of the public without human support alongside it.
Two levers come up most often: keeping a physical or phone-based channel for the most frequent procedures, and mobilising digital mediators, whether dedicated staff or partner organisations. The choice depends on the public actually concerned in the territory, which requires measuring usage rather than assuming it, much like smart territory projects where data is used to adjust public policy.
Frequently asked questions
Who is most affected by digital illiteracy?
Older people are the most affected, with the gap ranging from 2% among 15-24 year-olds to 62% among those aged 75 and over, according to Insee. Educational level and low income also increase the risk.
Is there another term for digital illiteracy?
It is sometimes called e-exclusion or a lack of basic digital skills, which describe the same reality. It should not be confused with the digital divide, which more broadly concerns access to equipment and connectivity.
How can digital illiteracy be tackled?
The most common levers are training in basic digital skills, support from digital mediators, and simplifying the interfaces of administrative procedures, without removing physical or phone-based access.
What is the difference between digital illiteracy and illiteracy?
Illiteracy refers to difficulty reading, writing or doing arithmetic, while digital illiteracy specifically concerns digital skills. The two often overlap: people with basic-skills difficulties are also less autonomous in their online procedures, according to the Anlci observatory.