OpenDOSM Official Open Data Interface of the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM)

Overview

OpenDOSM is the official open data platform of the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), providing free public access to machine-readable official statistics produced by DOSM and other Malaysian government agencies. The platform offers data in structured formats alongside interactive dashboards to support analysis by policymakers, researchers, journalists, businesses, and the general public.

History and Founding

The Department of Statistics Malaysia was established in 1949 (as the Bureau of Statistics, renamed in 1965). An initial version of OpenDOSM preceded the current platform. The modernized OpenDOSM NextGen platform was officially launched on January 12, 2023, by Minister of Economy Rafizi Ramli and Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Mohd Uzir Mahidi in Putrajaya. The launch was positioned as a signal of the government's commitment to data transparency and to encouraging inter-agency data sharing.

Collections and Holdings

OpenDOSM provides datasets and dashboards covering population statistics (1970 to present), GDP, consumer price indices, external trade, balance of payments, household income and expenditure, labour market indicators, and life expectancy. It also hosts high-frequency administrative data, including over 35 million price records from the PriceCatcher mobile application. Data is available via raw downloads, interactive charts, tables, and APIs, and can be scraped using Python. All datasets are freely available for download.

Access and Usage

The platform is accessible at open.dosm.gov.my without registration. It supports simultaneous access with minimal downtime and is designed for a wide range of user groups. OpenDOSM also connects to the broader Malaysian open data ecosystem, including data.gov.my, the national open data catalogue.