Open data for official statistics: History, principles, and implementation

Abstract

For data that are collected and managed by national statistical offices to reach their full potential and benefit to society, they must be made available to the public as open data. In the simplest terms, open data are data that can be freely used, modified, and shared by anyone for any purpose. This paper reviews the development of standards for the production and dissemination of open data. It discusses the implementation of these standards in national statistical systems and reviews tool kits, readiness assessments, and maturity models that are available to guide national statistical offices in the adoption of open data. The demand for open data has created challenges for official statistics, but it has also raised the profile of the statistical office and points to a new and expanded role as data brokers and data stewards. The paper concludes with a discussion of how open data in official statistics can be used to improve governance.