ODIN Website

FOREWORD

The 2024/25 Open Data Inventory (ODIN) sends a clear message: investing in open data yields results. With the most significant improvements recorded since its inception, ODIN 2024/25 offers evidence of the returns to investments in national statistical systems. Now in its seventh edition, ODIN provides an independent, comprehensive assessment of the openness and coverage of official statistics in 197 countries. It is a vital tool for national statistical offices (NSOs), policymakers, advocates, and development partners committed to building strong, sustainable, and transparent data ecosystems.

By improving the openness of official statistics, countries can unlock the full value of their data. Open data enhances public trust, supports evidence-based policymaking, and drives innovation across sectors. It enables better monitoring of development goals and promotes accountability, all of which makes a compelling case for further investments in data systems.

This year’s report provides a global overview, with in-depth explorations of key topics to follow in a series of thematic briefs released throughout the year. Together, these findings issue a clear call to action: champion open data, support national statistical offices, and ensure that no country is left behind in the data revolution. As the global development community faces uncertainty about support for key data sources, open data encourages greater use of data, raising the value of data investments and encouraging renewed funding to protect and build on the progress already made.

Shaida Badiee

Managing Director, Open Data Watch

INTRODUCTION

Figure 1. ODIN overall scores, 2024

How to use this figure: Use the (+) and (-) buttons to zoom in and out. Hover over each country to reveal the name. Click a country to see a summary of scores. Clicking the country’s name will redirect you to the Country Profile page on the ODIN website.

The 2024/25 Open Data Inventory (ODIN) included 197 countries, the most ever. Overall scores increased in 162 countries, and the average score across all countries rose by 12.5 percent from its 2022 level. This represents a substantial improvement from the pandemic period of 2020 to 2022 and the largest two-year increase in the ten years since the beginning of ODIN global assessments. Over 80 percent of countries saw measurable progress. Many statistical systems have not only recovered from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are surging ahead.

This progress reflects more than short-term recovery. It is the culmination of a decade of investment and commitment to open data. It is evidence that the supply of data is responding to the demand for high quality data used to inform planning, shape policy, and guide decision-making across governments and institutions. However, this progress is at risk. Many countries, particularly low- and middle-income ones, depend heavily on data from programs like the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) that have been a cornerstone of statistical capacity for decades. With the DHS program’s future uncertain, the availability of critical social data—on topics like child mortality, women’s health, and education—is under serious threat.

Despite these remarkable gains, there is still much work to do. ODIN 2024/25 provides critical insight into what is working, where progress is being made, and what challenges remain. It offers a roadmap for governments, funders, and advocates to strengthen data systems that empower people, inform policy, and promote accountability. Tools like ODIN don’t just show where we are, they help chart the path ahead. By identifying future challenges and spotlighting opportunities, data managers at national statistical offices will have information they need to overcome obstacles and continue advancing the open data goals to meet the sustainable development agenda.

Overall Findings

More open data in 2024

ODIN scores have two parts: data coverage is measured by the availability of disaggregated, time-series data at the national and subnational level in 22 categories of statistics. Data openness is measured by five criteria for open data: data should be machine readable and in non-proprietary formats; be accompanied by metadata; provide user-selectable download options; and be published with an open data license. Figure 2 shows the average openness and coverage scores of all countries participating in ODIN assessments since 2016. After a sharp drop in coverage scores in 2017—due in part to changes in ODIN methodology and the addition of crime and justice as a new data category—coverage scores improved in 2018 and 2020 but stalled in 2022 under the impact of the pandemic. Because data that are not produced cannot be assessed for openness, the increase in openness scores tracks coverage scores, but there is still more that countries can do to make existing data open at little cost. For example, they can publish more data in machine readable and non-proprietary formats and adopt an open data license applicable across the entire statistical system.

Figure 2. Average scores, all countries, 2016—2024

How to use this figure: Hover over the data points to see the data values. Click the score types in the legend to remove or add them from the graph.

Improved scores in all regions

There is evidence that lagging regions are beginning to catch up. Between 2022 and 2024, ODIN scores, shown in Figure 3 increased in all regions. The largest increases in overall scores occurred in Africa (23 percent). The second largest increase was in Oceania, where the Pacific Island states improved by 19 percent, although they still lag far behind their high-income neighbors of Australia and New Zealand. Europe, consistently the highest scoring region, showed the smallest increase. But within these broad, continental regions, there are substantial differences in performance. The greatest improvements in the past two years occurred in some of the poorest regions: average scores in Middle Africa increased by 40 percent, followed by Western Africa (29 percent) and Central Asia (27 percent). These results demonstrate that no region—no country—is condemned to an underperforming statistical system. With planning, investment, national leadership, and support from partners, rapid progress is possible.

Figure 3. Average scores by region, 2022-2024

Coverage Score Changes

Coverage gains underscore the vulnerability of social data

The 2024/25 ODIN results reaffirm that progress in open data is closely tied to improvements in data coverage. While openness determines how accessible data are, coverage determines whether they exist in the first place. Broader and more frequent data collection lays the foundation for transparent, informed decision-making. In this round, increased coverage signals not only an expansion in the supply of official statistics but also the strengthening of core statistical capacity across national systems.

Average coverage scores have increased by 12 percent since 2022, driven most significantly by a 9.5-point jump in environmental data and a 5.7-point gain in economic statistics. These gains reflect strong commitments and new investments. But the same can’t be said for social data. Despite a modest improvement of 3.7 points, coverage of social statistics still lags far behind—by 17 points on average compared to economic and environmental data. Social indicators measure the quality of life and well-being of people, capturing essential issues like health, education, gender equality, and safety that are not reflected in economic or environmental data alone. They are critical for identifying disparities and guiding inclusive, people-centered policies, yet are often harder to collect and more vulnerable to underfunding.

Without urgent and collective action—from national governments, statistical offices, and international partners—the global community risks leaving behind the data that most directly reflects people’s lives.

As Figure 4 shows, eight of the ten lowest-scoring categories in ODIN are social statistics. Food security and nutrition—the lowest of all—showed no progress since 2022 and Education Facilities and Crime and Justice both lost ground. Underinvestment in social data remains one of the greatest barriers to achieving equitable development. But there are signs of hope. Reproductive health data coverage rose by 8.5 points, health facilities by 6.5, and gender statistics by 4.1. These are some of the biggest jumps in categories that have long trailed in ODIN rankings, and they show what’s possible when countries commit to collecting and publishing vital social data.

Figure 4. Average coverage scores by data category, 2024

How to use this figure: Hover over the data points to see the data values. Click the score types in the legend to remove or add them from the graph.

Coverage is rising, but not equally

Countries around the world made impressive progress in coverage between 2022 and 2024, reflecting growing recognition of the importance of foundational data. However, a closer look at subregional scores, shown in Figure 5, reveals a more complex reality—some areas are being left behind. The gap between the highest- and lowest-performing subregions has changed little since 2020, underscoring the need for focused, equitable efforts.

While coverage gains were more evenly spread across regions than overall ODIN scores, subregional disparities remain stark. For instance, Africa led all regions with a 23 percent increase in overall ODIN scores since 2022, but that progress was not evenly distributed. One likely reason is the geographic focus of recent capacity-building efforts by the African Development Bank (AfDB), which prioritized 12 countries in Central, Eastern, and Western Africa in their most recent open data initiatives. These efforts led to substantial progress in participating countries. But those outside the initiative’s focus have not benefited from the same level of investment or support. Some subregions within Africa still have among the lowest average coverage scores globally and have recorded less than half the gains of their regional peers. Northern and Southern Africa, for example, recorded some of the smallest increases in coverage—just 9 and 8 percent, respectively—and remain among the lowest-scoring subregions overall.

Despite these gaps, bright spots are emerging across multiple regions. Central Asia and Middle Africa saw remarkable increases in coverage scores—31 and 27 percent. Western Africa and South America also posted notable gains of over 15 percent.

High-performing subregions are continuing to advance as well. Northern Europe, already the highest-scoring subregion in 2022, increased its coverage score by another 7 percent, reaching an average of 70. This shows that even the strongest performers have room to grow—and reinforces the importance of sustaining progress by making data more inclusive, detailed, and useful, which is the goal of open data.

Looking ahead, official data initiatives should be more inclusive, particularly in subregions that have made limited progress so far. Without sustained investment and technical support, countries making modest gains may fall further behind their faster-moving neighbors.

Broader and more collaborative regional partnerships will be essential to close persistent data gaps. Institutions like the frican Development Bank (AfDB)A and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) have demonstrated the power of coordinated action. AfDB’s Africa Information Highway, which spans the continent, has undertaken and initiative using the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) as a benchmark focused on 12 countries. Meanwhile, IDB is supporting a regional technical cooperation project to strengthen the capacity of National Statistical Offices (NSOs) in Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, and Peru. This initiative aims to improve the statistical production process concerning indigenous peoples, Afro-descendants, and LGBTQ+ individuals, thereby enhancing the inclusivity and openness of official data systems.

These efforts are starting to be complemented by other regional actors. UN Regional Commissions (such as ESCAP and ECLAC) provide technical assistance and frameworks for improving data availability and comparability. Organizations dedicated to statistical development—like the Pacific Community (SPC) and AFRISTAT, which support harmonized, high-quality statistics across regions—are also critical. Statistical communities including ASEANstats and CARICOM contribute through regional initiatives that promote open access to indicators and shared methodologies. The Partnership in Statistics for Development in the 21st Century (PARIS21), through the National Strategy for Development of Statistics (NSDS) guidelines provides a planning framework for countries to improve their data systems and increase access to data.

This type of global and regional cooperation is essential for closing data gaps and building sustainable national systems. Tools such as the World Bank’s Statistical Performance Indicator (SPI) as well as ODIN provide a systematic way to monitor counties' progress. The SDG Indicator 17.18.1, which measures countries’ capacity to produce high-quality, timely, and disaggregated data provides a summary measure as part of the SDG reporting framework. The ODIN coverage subscore is one of the inputs used to assess this indicator, helping to monitor how well countries are doing in generating the data needed for sustainable development. While recent improvements in data coverage are encouraging, especially in low-income countries, the global picture remains uneven. Accelerating progress will require continued investment in core data infrastructure and a commitment to ensuring that no one is left behind.

Together, these bodies help share the best practices, build sustainable national systems, and ensure that open data remains a collective, long-term priority across borders.

How to use this figure: Hover over the data points to see the data values. Click the score types in the legend to remove or add them from the graph.

Openness Findings

Progress in data licensing, but more coordination is needed

Across the globe, national statistics offices and government data producers are making notable progress in opening their data. Country scores increased by 13 percent since 2022. But progress in openness does not mean the job is done. With the global-average openness score sitting at just 59 percent, there is still room for improvement.

Scores for the five elements of openness are shown in Figure 6. One area that continues to lag is data licensing. Out of the five openness criteria used in ODIN, licensing has historically scored the lowest. But this year, there is good news: countries made their biggest leap yet in adopting open data licenses, reversing the troubling decline between ODIN 2020 and 2022.

During the ODIN review period, Open Data Watch was contacted by more countries than ever asking for help in evaluating their data licenses—a clear signal that governments are paying attention. While fewer than 8 percent of countries publish all their data under an open license, there has been strong growth in those publishing some data under an open license, from 32 percent in 2018 to 59 percent in 2024.

Figure 6. Average openness element scores, 2022-2024

The direction is promising, but the question remains— why are so many countries publishing data under a mix of open and not-open licenses? The challenge typically is not a lack of willingness but rather a lack of national coordination. In many countries, data are produced and managed by multiple agencies, each with their own policies, systems, and priorities. Without a central framework or mandate, the result is a patchwork of licenses—or worse, no licenses at all. This matters. Disconnected licensing practices create confusion and legal uncertainty for users, making it difficult to understand whether or how data can be reused. If data users are not sure what they are allowed to do with the data, they are less likely to use them in favor of other, non-official sources.

The solution? Coordination. While adopting an open license for a single dataset or agency is relatively easy and low-cost, the real impact comes when governments align around a single, open licensing standard. A unified approach ensures legal clarity, supports data interoperability, and strengthens the foundations of an open data ecosystem.

Countries have yet to prioritize publishing basic metadata

Although many countries have made progress in adopting open data licenses, far fewer are publishing the metadata that makes data usable, shareable, and impactful. Metadata are essential for enabling interoperability, discoverability, and meaningful reuse across open data systems.

Despite its importance, metadata continue to be under prioritized. In 2024, the average metadata score in ODIN was just 53—an increase of only 2 points since 2022. In comparison, all other openness subscores rose by at least 6 points on average.

So why has progress stalled? Many national statistical offices still face systemic challenges: outdated infrastructure, limited technical capacity, and the absence of standardized frameworks. Metadata are often not embedded in routine data workflows and remain under-resourced, lacking the staff, tools, and institutional support needed to produced and maintain metadata effectively.

As the world rapidly shifts toward AI-driven technologies, with users relying more on tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini to access information, metadata are more important than ever. Because they have limited capability for interacting with structured data, AI systems operate not by querying databases directly but by pulling information from a web of secondary sources. Without rich, machine-readable metadata that clearly defines concepts, units of measurement, timeframes, and geographic scope, AI systems struggle to accurately retrieve and represent official statistics. This leads to a growing risk that official data will be misrepresented or overlooked by AI systems in favor of less reliable and less accurate datasets.

To keep pace with evolving technologies and preserve the integrity of official data, countries must adopt metadata processes that are compatible with AI systems. These include using structured formats like SDMX, providing metadata through APIs, and ensuring that both data and metadata are machine-readable and semantically rich. Tools already exist to help countries move in this direction. The World Bank’s Metadata Editor, for example, provides a user-friendly way for national statistical offices to document metadata in standardized, machine-readable formats, making it easier to publish high-quality metadata aligned with best practices.

At the same time, more work needs to be done to make AI systems more compatible with structured databases. One promising example of how this can be done is the IMF’s StatGPT application, which uses generative AI to make it easier for users to access and interact with the IMF’s statistical data. StatGPT is built to interact with SDMX-compliant databases, making it a leading example of how AI can interface with official statistics when proper metadata and standards are in place.

In this new digital landscape, where natural language queries are replacing traditional search, metadata becomes the bridge between official sources and real-world users. Strengthening metadata is not just a technical upgrade—it is a strategic investment in the usability and trustworthiness of open data. While general-purpose AI systems cannot, at present, read structured databases directly, publishing machine-readable metadata now lays the foundation for the future tools that will. Countries that act early will be better positioned to ensure their data are used accurately and widely in the AI-powered systems of tomorrow.

Country Stories

Country Pathways to Progress: Chile, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia

ODIN 2024/25 shows that countries are taking steps to improve their open data systems—proof that meaningful change is possible through political will, strategic focus, and institutional leadership. Whether through steady reforms, rapid digital transformation, or renewed momentum after setbacks, countries are moving the needle on data coverage and openness in ways that support transparency, accountability, and better public service delivery. The examples of Chile, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia show that progress doesn’t require perfection—it requires commitment. These countries prove that investing in open data pays off, and there are many paths forward.

These country experiences demonstrate that there is no single path to progress. Chile’s gradual and comprehensive strategy, Malaysia’s rapid platform consolidation, and Saudi Arabia’s recovery from setbacks all reflect different routes toward a shared goal—accessible, high-quality official statistics. As ODIN data show, the results speak for themselves: strategic choices, institutional commitment, and stakeholder engagement can drive meaningful improvements, regardless of starting point or income level.

Figure 7.1. Average scores for Chile, 2017-2024

How to use this figure: Hover over the data points to see the data values. Click the score types in the legend to remove or add them from the graph.

Strengthening Open Data Systems Across Africa: AfDB and ODIN

The African Development Bank has prioritized open data initiatives since 2012, when they launched the Africa Information Highway. This initiative expands access to official statistics across the continent by providing open data platforms for all African countries. In 2019, AfDB deepened its focus by selecting 12 countries for a targeted capacity-building effort, emphasizing open data principles. The 12 countries were selected based on their prior engagement in the Africa Information Highway, regional diversity, and varying levels of statistical capacity.

In 2021, the African Development Bank partnered with Open Data Watch to offer in-depth guidance to the 12 countries on the implementation of open data principles, demonstrating how these principles can enhance data availability and openness. ODIN was used to illustrate the core principals of open data and as a key performance indicator and a roadmap for identifying gaps and implementing recommended improvements

These webinars were followed by national workshops led by the African Development Bank, where countries identified existing data gaps. This led to increased dissemination of existing data. Because NSOs have agency and autonomy to manage their portals, they can improve the accessibility of their data by publishing them along with their metadata in machine-readable formats. The AfDB further collaborated with the countries to adopt open licenses for data available in the portals.

Through the African Development Bank’s tailored capacity-building webinars, national level workshops, and direct engagement with open data focal points within national statistical offices, the targeted support led to direct results. As AfDB prepares future development of its statistical capacity building programs, ODIN remains a core part of its strategy to promote sustainable, open, and accessible data systems across Africa.

Figure 8. 12 African Countries overall score, 2022-2024

How to use this figure: Hover over the data points to see the data values. Click the score types in the legend to remove or add them from the graph.

Data

To download more complete ODIN datasets, go to the Data page on the ODIN website. You can use the custom scoring tool to manipulate the dataset further by selecting data categories, coverage elements, or openness elements. You can do this from the data page or by clicking the gear icon wherever you see it on the ODIN website.

Methodology

Click here to read our Methodology Guide.

Acknowledgements

The Open Data Inventory (ODIN) is managed by Jamison Henninger who also authored this report with Eric Swanson, Lorenz Noe, Tawheeda Wahabzada and Elettra Baldi. Primary research for ODIN was conducted by the research team including Dalia Ismail Abdelnabi, Stéphane Kodjo Amouzouvi, Andrea Arenas, Guillermo Barbella, Luke Engelby, Jay Ensor, Zaheen Fatima, Itziri Gonzalez-Barcenas, Chandrika Kaul, Maddy Longwell, Richard Muraya, and Erica Ness. We also thank Martin Getzendanner, Amelia Pittman, Giorgi Sharvadze, and AKRON, Inc. for their work on the report and website design, and Deirdre Appel and Raquel Fontes for their support on communications and outreach.

Finally, we extend our sincere thanks to the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for their generous financial support, which makes this work possible.