Government Open Data Platform data.gov.tw Taiwan

History and Founding

Taiwan began promoting government open data in 2012, and the official Government Open Data Platform (data.gov.tw) was launched in April 2013 under the Executive Yuan. The platform was established to satisfy citizens' rights to access and reuse government data, improve administrative transparency, and encourage civic participation in public policy. Initially, it aggregated datasets from 62 government agencies of the Executive Yuan. By the end of 2013, each agency was required to release at least 55 datasets. In April 2023, the platform celebrated its tenth anniversary, by which time it had made more than 55,000 datasets available, accumulating over 110 million views and 19 million downloads.

Collections and Holdings

The platform hosts datasets across a wide range of government functions, including transportation, health and medical care, climate and environment, disaster prevention and rescue, energy management, social assistance, finance, agriculture, and public works. Data is provided in open formats, including geospatial, statistical, and multimedia resources. Since 2019, the government has pursued a policy of maximizing the quantity and quality of open data, including the introduction of a High Application Value Thematic Area to organize datasets by social impact rather than purely by agency. The platform operates under the oversight of Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs.

Access and Usage

Data is freely accessible at data.gov.tw, with an English-language interface available. Open licenses permit users to download, reuse, and redistribute datasets without fee for both commercial and non-commercial purposes, subject to proper citation requirements. Government agencies, developers, researchers, and civil society organizations regularly use the platform. Annual data application competitions and training programs encourage innovation based on open government data.