To support meaningful international comparisons of open data implementation, the OECD has identified 82 high-value datasets (HVD) of significant public interest across ten categories. This non-exhaustive list builds on the original G8 Open Data Charter and reflects more recent global frameworks, such as the European Union’s Open Data Directive. The ten categories are: companies and company ownership; earth observation and environment; geospatial; mobility; meteorology; statistics; government finances and accountability; crime and justice; education; and health and social welfare. Open access to these datasets can enable more effective use of public resources, support informed decision making and foster innovation. As governments confront complex challenges, timely, high-quality data are essential for designing responsive policies and delivering impactful public services. HVD are also fundamental to enabling AI. Reliable datasets form the basis for training AI systems and scaling data-driven solutions in areas such as urbanisation, environment and health.
Overall, only 23% of HVD in SEA are available as open data (Figure 5.13). This is below the OECD average of 47%. Statistics data are the most available (48% of datasets available as open data), followed by company data (25%), crime and justice datasets (25%), meteorology data (23%), health and social welfare data (23%), and education-related data (20%). In all other categories, less than 20% of relevant government datasets across the region are available as open data. These include earth observation and environment (19%), geospatial data (17%), mobility data (17%), and data related to government finances and accountability (13%). Further information on budget transparency is presented in Chapter 3.
Data accessibility also remains a challenge. On average, 35% of published HVD in SEA are easily accessible, compared to the OECD average of 66% (Figure 5.14). There are a number of barriers to access. Currently, only 44% of HVD in SEA are published via a central portal (compared to a 66% OECD average), and only 44% are available in open formats (compared to an 88% OECD average). Only 43% of HVD are up to date (79% OECD average), and just 25% feature high-quality metadata (47% OECD average). Importantly, only 18% of HVD datasets are accessible via standard APIs (compared to a 47% OECD average), which are vital for integrating data into applications, services, and AI systems.
Country-level performance varies across SEA. Thailand and Singapore have made 72% and 56% of HVD available as open data, respectively (Online Figure D.2.3). This is above the OECD and SEA averages (47% and 23%). In some SEA countries, including Indonesia, low levels of availability can be attributed to challenges in aggregating nationwide datasets from local and regional jurisdictions. Most countries perform better on the accessibility of HVD, led by Singapore and Thailand, which provide 88% and 67% of HVD in accessible formats, respectively (Figure 5.15), which is above the OECD average (66%). Notably, except for Korea, all OECD countries in the Asia-Pacific region also perform below the OECD average on both the availability and accessibility of HVD.
SEA still faces significant barriers to unlocking the full value of its data assets. Closing these gaps will require co-ordinated policy action. Governments can prioritise making HVD widely available through centralised portals, adopting open formats and ensuring regular updates. Equally important is enhancing the quality and interoperability of data through robust metadata standards and API access. These actions are not just technical; they are foundational investments in a modern, agile and innovation-ready public sector.
