Identification of clusters based on socioeconomic, public governance, and digital transformation indicators in South American countries

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationship between public governance, digital transformation, and socioeconomic development in South America from 2005 to 2022. Indicators from the World Bank (WGI), Human Development Index (HDI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and the E-Government Development Index (EGDI) were used, applying cluster analysis (k-means) and multiple linear regression. The results reveal the segmentation of countries into three groups: (i) high performance in governance and digital government (Argentina – from 2016 onwards – Chile, and Uruguay); (ii) intermediate performance (Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, and Peru); and (iii) low performance (Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname, and Venezuela). Countries with high HDI and robust regulatory quality demonstrate greater digital government maturity, while democratic participation showed a less expressive impact. The temporal analysis showed that digitalization in the public sector advances more steadily than human development, suggesting that its evolution may be less influenced by conjunctural factors. The findings reinforce the need for public policies aimed at reducing digital inequalities and strengthening digital governance in the region.