The United Nations E-Government Survey, published biennially by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) since 2001, measures the e-government performance of all United Nations Member States. The assessment is a relative measurement, comparing countries to one another rather than providing an absolute measurement. It recognizes that each country has the discretion to determine the level and extent of its e-government initiatives to align with its national development priorities and the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Survey serves as a benchmarking and development tool, enabling countries to learn from each other, identify strengths and challenges in e-government, and shape their policies and strategies. It is intended primarily for policy makers, government officials, academia, civil society, private sector, and experts in sustainable development, public administration, digital government, and Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) for development.

The Survey measures the effectiveness of e-government in the delivery of public services and includes data on e-government development in the annexes, providing a relative measure of e-government development across all Member States. The progress of e-government development is tracked via the United Nations E-Government Development Index (EGDI), a composite index based on the weighted average of three normalized indices: the Telecommunications Infrastructure Index (TII), the Human Capital Index (HCI), and the Online Service Index (OSI). The Survey questionnaire assesses several features related to online service delivery, including whole-of-government approaches, open government data, e-participation, multi-channel service delivery, mobile services, usage uptake and digital divides, and innovative partnerships using ICTs. From 2018, the Survey also assesses city portals of the UN Member States through the Local Online Service Index (LOSI), capturing the state of e-government service provision at the city level.