Demographic influence on UK citizens' e-government adoption

This paper presents an empirical analysis of the influence of demographic variables on citizens' adoption of a recent UK e-government initiative, the 'Government Gateway'. Three key demographic characteristics age, gender and education that provide insights into Government Gateway adopters and non-adopters were identified from a literature review. Data on these variables was collected on a nationwide scale employing a postal survey. The findings of this study suggest that the three variables of age, education, and broadband access at home significantly influence citizens' adoption of the Government Gateway, whilst gender was found to be non-significant. The implications of the findings are discussed in the context of promoting the adoption of emerging ICT technologies and reducing the digital divide.