A growing share of citizens, journalists, and policymakers access official statistics through AI chat or assistants rather than official statistical websites. ODIN shows that years of investment in open data can create an important foundation for AI readiness.
At a milestone moment, the inaugural AGCS Forum reaffirmed that statistics matter not only to advance rights, justice, and opportunities for all, but also to elevate the role of data for more inclusive development impacting women and children.
For over a decade, the Open Data Inventory (ODIN) has independently measured the coverage and openness of official statistics published by National Statistical Offices (NSOs). The 2026/27 exercise is underway with 11 trained researchers evaluating national data across 23 categories and 60+ indicators for 198 countries.
The 2026 Global Data Festival examines the need to rethink data systems in response to rapid technological change, to recognize that data systems must become more inclusive, and to understand that no single actor can address today’s data challenges alone.
The global statistical community has reached a fork in the road, facing a strategic choice between two broad paths. This paper provides a framework for informed debate about legitimacy, financing, risk and equity as we chart a new course towards sustainable and inclusive data systems.
The global statistical community has reached a fork in the road, facing a strategic choice between two broad paths. This paper provides a framework for informed debate about legitimacy, financing, risk and equity as we chart a new course towards sustainable and inclusive data systems.
How can and must a decade of open science practices evolve as AI reshapes what’s possible? Four takeaways from this year’s “Measuring Development Conference”.
As new technologies emerge in a time of shrinking resources. strong data systems are not just about producing more data; they are about building trust, enabling civic participation, and ensuring data are used to drive equitable and lasting change.
At the Global Data Festival, Open Data Watch leads discussions on how to use technologies like AI for citizen data, how to strengthen data systems under pressure, and why peer networks are so essential to the infrastructure for sustainable progress.
As countries like Kazakhstan prepare for the next round of ODIN, the focus is not only on measuring progress but also on supporting it.