navigating bureaucratic processes remains a significant and frustrating time sink.. The findings, reported by “Welt am Sonntag” reveal that a typical visit to a government office consumes an average of two hours and five minutes – a duration significantly inflated by lengthy commutes and protracted waiting times.
The breakdown reveals that 51 minutes are spent on travel, 40 minutes are lost in waiting rooms and a mere 34 minutes are dedicated to the actual task resolution. This inefficiency is compounded by the difficulty many citizens face in securing appointments, with 58% reporting challenges in the initial booking process.
While the vast majority (90%) ultimately achieve their goals through these in-person visits, the experience leaves a decidedly mixed impression. Only 46% of respondents rated the entire process positively, highlighting a clear disconnect between outcome and user satisfaction. Strikingly, 43% believe their issue could have been resolved just as effectively, if not more so, online.
The data underscores the mounting criticism regarding the sluggish pace of digital transformation within Germany’s public administration. “Digital government interactions must become the standard in Germany” asserted Bitkom President Ralf Wintergerst. “They increase the efficiency of public administration and simultaneously save citizens a tremendous amount of time”. While the federal government has declared ambitious modernization goals, Wintergerst emphasized the crucial need for consistent and committed adoption by state and local authorities.
According to Bitkom, a staggering 288 out of 577 services are still not digitized, a clear indication that the implementation of the Onlinezugangsgesetz (OZG – Online Access Act) is lagging far behind legislative intent. The association is advocating for the nationwide rollout of standardized solutions, discouraging individual state and municipal development efforts and allowing the federal government to centrally provide core technologies – arguing that this is the only viable path to truly modernize bureaucratic processes and alleviate the considerable burden placed on German citizens. The lack of digital infrastructure, observers note, is not merely an inconvenience, but a potential barrier to citizen engagement and a reflection of broader systemic challenges within the German state.