data.govt.nz New Zealand Government Open Data Portal

Overview and History

data.govt.nz is New Zealand's official all-of-government open data catalogue and guidance portal, managed by Stats NZ and overseen by the Government Chief Data Steward. The underlying open government data programme began in 2010 to support adoption of the New Zealand Government Open Access and Licensing Framework (NZGOAL), following the declaration of Open and Transparent Government and the New Zealand Data and Information Principles passed by Cabinet in August 2011. New Zealand signed the International Open Data Charter in 2017. The Open Government Data Programme formally concluded on 30 June 2020, but the data catalogue and commitment to open data have continued under the Government Chief Data Steward.

Collections and Holdings

data.govt.nz provides access to more than 15,500 openly available government datasets from across New Zealand's public sector, including data from central government agencies, local government bodies, and government-funded research organizations. Datasets span topics including environment, infrastructure, demographics, health, education, and public finance. The portal also provides guidance on open data standards, licensing, and best practices for agencies releasing data.

Access and Usage

Datasets on data.govt.nz are available for download and reuse under New Zealand's open data licences, including Creative Commons licences as recommended by NZGOAL. The portal is freely accessible to the public. For feedback and queries, users can contact the data team at Stats NZ.