Trends in ID Systems (2022 Dataset)

Designing inclusive and effective digital ID requires a strong understanding of the current ID ecosystem to build on past successes and avoid potential missteps. The third volume of the ID4D Global Dataset 2022 takes stock of the world’s foundational ID systems, diving deep into their policies, technologies, and operations, to offer a benchmarking tool and a new repository of information for ID practitioners and stakeholders. 

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Data and indicators in the 2022 ID4D Trends dataset are organized according to the major stages of the identity lifecycle: registration, issuance, use, and management. 

Management 

•    We only know of six countries in which the “ID Authority” (our term for the government entity that owns and manages the ID system) is completely independent. In other cases, the ID Authority is housed within a “home institution” elsewhere in the government. 

•    The most common type of home institution is a Ministry of Interior or Home Affairs (at least 93 countries). 
 

Registration 

•    Registration and obtaining an ID is mandatory for nationals is mandatory in at least 129 countries. 
•    Non-nationals are eligible to register in the foundational ID system in at least 94 countries, or over half of countries globally. 
•    The first credential issued is completely free in 63 countries, but replacement IDs are less likely to be free—only 15 countries that we know of issue free replacement credentials in all circumstances. 
•    To establish a person’s identity during registration in the ID system, virtually all ID systems collect name, date of birth, and gender or sex (collection of other biographic details varies). In addition to biographic data, most foundational ID systems (at least 152) collect biometrics, and most commonly fingerprints and facial images. 
•    The identity claim stage typically also involves documentation, and one of the most required documents is a birth certificate. In at least 90 out of 175 countries, everyone is required to present their birth certificate during registration. In an additional 26 countries, a birth certificate is one of multiple accepted documents for establishing identity. However, at least 60 countries offer alternative processes for individuals who do not have the commonly required documents. 
 

Issuance 

•    In any foundational ID system, identifying numbers are the most basic type of identifier or credential. Most countries (at least 134 out of 175) issue an ID number that is considered “permanent” (i.e., unchanging throughout a person’s lifetime). These numbers range in length from 7 to 20 digits, but most are around 10 to 13 digits. 
•    Only 21 countries that we know of generate completely random ID numbers. The most common ID number format, issued by at least 54 countries, is a mix of coded and sequential digits. 
•    At least 86 countries issued their ID number to newborns at birth, and many of these (at least 58) print the newborn’s ID number on their birth certificate. 
•    Despite the rapid growth of digital credentials, physical credentials still play an important role in ID systems. These often (though not always) consist of an ID card, generally known as a “national ID” or a similar term. The majority of countries issue ID cards made of plastic (at least 125 out of 175), while at least 14 issue paper-based credentials. 
•    The most common digital data storage feature that these cards have is a chip (seen in at least 100 countries). At least 46 countries’ cards have 2D barcodes like QR codes—sometimes in addition to a chip. 
 

Use 

•    The data indicate that it is more common for service providers to accept their country’s national ID as one of multiple options for proof of identity, rather than to mandate that the national ID specifically must be used. The service in our study with the highest rate of requiring the national ID is bank account opening: to open an account at a bank or financial institution, 65 countries (out of 73 for which we have data) require the national ID, while another 10 accept it as one of multiple ID options.   
•    Most ID systems offer some level of digital verification and/or authentication mechanisms beyond presenting a credential for visual inspection. When it comes to biometrics, the data suggests that fingerprints are the most common modality used for digital authentication. Of the 134 countries that we know collect fingerprint data, 54 reporting using it for verification and/or authentication (while 13 out of the 134 countries specifically do not).