The great digital stagnation - why UK public sector organizations are moving backwards after three years of 'transformation'

The UK public sector's digital transformation isn't just stalling - it's going backwards. After two years of supposed progress, only 16% of organizations have fully implemented their digital strategies in 2025, down from 23% in 2023, according to new research from Unit4. For anyone who's followed the sector's history with major IT initiatives, this regression follows a familiar pattern.

The findings, based on a survey of 400 public sector decision-makers across the UK, Canada, Netherlands and Sweden, reveal a sector caught in a cycle of strategic drift and false starts. What makes this latest stagnation particularly noteworthy is that it's happening precisely when digital transformation and the smart adoption of technologies may be essential for survival, particularly in the context of an economy that is limping along and budgetary constraints.

Always two years away

The most telling figure in the research concerns expectations rather than ...