The effects of e-government evaluation, trust and the digital divide in the levels of e-government use in European countries

•Growth in investment in e-government may increase the use of e-government by citizens, but not proportionally.•Only a citizen-centred, well communicated and promoted policy can balance the levels of e-government supply and demand.•The use of e-government cannot prevent a decline in confidence, but it does appear to have an attenuating effect.•Greater levels of trust seem to encourage greater use of e-government.•The differences in use across countries in Europe are influenced by the digital divide due to income and education. Despite the significant amounts of public investment devoted to enhancing e-government over the last ten years, citizens’ use of this service is still limited, posing a challenge to national governments. By analysing panel data derived from 27 European countries for the period 2010 to 2018, our work confirms that citizens’ use of e-government services is influenced by supply-side e-government evaluations, citizens’ trust in governments and the digital divide associated to income and education. Moreover, a longitudinal cluster analysis allows us to identify patterns of behaviour between the countries as regards the way those variables interact with the use of e-government services over time. Relevant practical implications derive from the research that can guide public policy in the area of e-government.