This report draws on the NAO’s previous work on digital transformation, data and government’s previous work on identity, together with evidence from international audit bodies. It examines the scope and purpose of digital identity, the UK landscape including the roles of the government and the private sector, international experiences and emerging developments, and it identifies the characteristics associated with successful approaches.

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The report provides insights for government from UK and international experience to help inform any future consideration of digital identity, including the trade-offs that can affect cost, complexity and value for money. It does not examine or evaluate the performance of any specific programmes or organisations.

Key findings: insights for government

Clarity of design and objectives

  • Implementing digital identity at scale across fragmented public services is a complex integration challenge requiring long timescales.
  • International experience shows that there is no single model for digital identity.
  • A digital identity is less likely to deliver its intended benefits where technology is built before the objectives, business processes, data constraints and integration challenges are clearly understood and addressed.

Users and trust

  • Outside of countries with a history of mandatory identity systems, successful digital identity relies on people finding it useful and wanting to use it.
  • The UK already has legislation, standards and digital identity services that provide a foundation to build on.
  • Trust and adoption will depend on how clearly governments explain the different aspects of digital identity.

Data and alignment

  • The government’s efforts to date have mainly focused on allowing people to reuse a verified identity across its online services, but this addresses only one aspect of identity reuse.
  • Linking records about the same person across different systems and organisations is a separate challenge.
  • Phone-based digital identity is a more recent development that is reshaping user expectations and how systems work together.

Enablers of delivery

  • Experience from the UK and internationally suggests that implementing digital identity at scale depends on realistic assumptions about timescales and costs, supported by clear decisions on funding, ownership and accountability.
  • The private sector already plays a significant role in digital identity.

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Press release

View press release (2 Sep 2026)

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