Two in three Europeans (66%) would use the European Digital Identity Wallet (EDIW) that the European Union plans to start piloting in 2023, a survey has found.

It also found that, when asked about the design and implementation of the EDIW, 66% of respondents identified security as the most important priority, 46% said convenience and 31% privacy.

In addition, it shows that just over one in four respondents already use an official national digital ID (27%) but that a little under half currently only use an unofficial scan or copy of a physical official document (45%).

“In all but one of the countries surveyed, government emerges as the preferred provider of the EDIW,” says Thales, the identity solutions provider that conducted the survey.

“The results of the survey certainly underline the need for this pioneering European initiative aiming at offering the most convenient user experience (UX) at the highest level of security,” the company adds.

“Regarding UX, 34% of people surveyed currently find it difficult to prove their identity when renewing an ID document, 30% have problems when making a high-value purchase, and 29% encounter troubles when applying for financial services.

“However, among the 40% who face such issues, the figure falls to just 5% or below when a digital format is used.”

Regional differences

The survey was conducted across seven European countries and also reveals regional variations.

“The French and the Italians are the most positive about the EDIW, with 85% and 75%, respectively, claiming they will use it,” Thales says.

“Enthusiasm for the EDIW is also influenced by age, and citizens’ experiences of digital wallet providers (such as Apple, Google, Samsung), and national digital ID schemes, including BankID in Sweden.”

Thales carried out the survey with 1,835 citizens of Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Sweden in December 2021.

The European Union officially confirmed its plans to introduce an EU-wide digital wallet that will enable all EU citizens to link their national digital identity with other personal attributes and store them on their mobile phone in June 2021.

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