Residents are increasingly using national electronic identity tools, preferring mobile solutions

The use of national electronic identification and electronic signature tools has increased more than two and a half times in the last three years, confirming that citizens prefer to carry out both everyday activities and legally sensitive  and commercial transactions remotely using secure tools, according to the Latvian State Radio and Television Center (hereinafter – LVRTC). Currently, one in three residents aged 14 and older uses eSignature (eParaksts) to verify their identity and sign documents, with eSignature mobile being the most popular choice.

This year has seen a rapid increase in e-identity verification using national electronic identification tools – the eID card and the eParaksts mobile app. In the first eight months of the year, eSignature tools for identity verification were used almost twice as often as in the same period last year, and their use has quadrupled in four years. “It is important to note that the use of secure digital solutions has continued to grow rapidly even after the end of the pandemic. We can see that this increase is mainly driven by eParaksts mobile, whose use for identity verification has grown by 421% since 2022, exceeding 19.5 million times in the first eight months of the year. This year, eParaksts mobile is being used 2.5 million times a month for identity verification, which is a million times more than last year,” explains Ģirts Ozols, Chairman of the Board of LVRTC.

The use of eID cards and smart cards for identity verification also continues to grow – this year it has exceeded 2.7 million times, which is 78% more than in 2022.

The number of document signings is also increasing. In the first eight months of this year, eSignature tools were used to sign documents 11.9 million times, which is 10% more than a year ago and 38% more than in 2022. The most rapid growth has been observed in eParaksts mobile. This year, the app has been used to sign documents an average of one million times per month, compared to an average of 700,000 times per month last year.

The eID card for signing documents has been used an average of half a million times per month this year, which is 150,000 times more than a year ago.

Overall, society is using digital solutions more and more widely and frequently – eSignature has become an everyday tool both in receiving public administration services and in the private sector. eSignature tools are still the most widely integrated means of electronic identity verification on a wide variety of portals.

“Undeniably, eSignature has become one of the main tools in everyday digital life. Data from recent years confirms that residents particularly appreciate the convenience of eSignature mobile, which allows them to securely sign documents and verify their e-identity at any time and place. We can see that the eID Scan app, which was introduced last year and allows eID cards to be used without a card reader, is also gaining popularity, as it is used 10,000 times every month. Society has become accustomed to mobile solutions and expects them as a matter of course,” emphasizes Ģ.Ozols.

Currently, more than 1.33 million Latvian residents have an eID card with eSignature, and nearly 500,000 residents have signed a contract for the use of eSignature mobile.