The 10th anniversary of the open data maturity report
Publication Date/Time
2025-02-17T11:30:00+00:00
Country
Global
A decade of progress across Europe
The open data maturity
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/open-data-maturity] (ODM)
assessment aims to evaluate the progress of open data initiatives
across Europe. In its first three years (2015–2017), ODM was
measured based on two key dimensions: OPEN DATA READINESS and PORTAL
MATURITY. From 2018 onwards, the assessment evolved to incorporate
four dimensions: POLICY, PORTAL, QUALITY and IMPACT. Marking the 10th
anniversary of the ODM report and the release of the 2024 edition in
December, this data story delves into historical trends, offering a
comparative analysis of countries and highlighting those that have
achieved the most notable growth across the four dimensions since
2018, along with some of the measures they took to achieve this. 

 

OVERALL MATURITY 

Figure 1 illustrates the overall ODM of the participating countries
from 2018 to 2024. While most countries achieved a high maturity score
in 2024 (compared to an EU average of 83 %), countries have had
different rates of progress over the years. For example, Italy
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_italy_2023.pdf]
has shown steady progress, consistently improving its scores each year
and remaining above the EU average, with a maturity score of 80 % in
2018 (compared to an EU average of 65 %) and 94 % in 2024
(compared to an EU average of 83 %). One factor contributing to this
progress is the initiatives led by the Agency for Digital Italy
[https://www.agid.gov.it/en], which promotes open data culture through
training sessions, guidelines and a three-year implementation plan. 

Other nations have shown significant yet varied rates of progress. For
example, Lithuania
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_lithuania_2024.pdf]
started with a relatively low overall maturity score in 2018 (46 %),
saw a sharp rise by 2020 (86 %), going above the EU average, and has
since maintained a steady high score (94 % in both 2023 and 2024).
This progress can be partially attributed to the government’s action
plan on open data
[https://www.opengovpartnership.org/members/lithuania/commitments/LT0024/],
which is part of a broader national agenda. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/13.ODM-2025-01%20%281%29.png]
FIGURE 1: Overall open data maturity performance of the
participating countries across all dimensions between 2018 and 2024 

_SOURCE: _OPEN DATA MATURITY REPORT
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/odm2024_full_report_0.pdf]

 

AN OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY DIMENSION 

The policy dimension
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/open-data-maturity-report-2022-countries-perspectives-their-open-data-0]
of ODM assesses the maturity of national open data policies, focusing
on governance models and measures that align with EU open data
legislation. In 2024, the policy dimension was the highest scoring,
with an overall score of 91 %. 

As shown in Figure 2, some countries consistently exceed the EU
average in their yearly performance. An example is Slovenia
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_slovenia_2023.pdf],
which has continuously achieved a maturity score of above 93 % since
2022. Slovenia is now implementing its digital strategy for 2030
[https://www.gov.si/assets/ministrstva/MDP/Dokumenti/DSI2030-potrjena-na-Vladi-RS_marec-2023.pdf].
The strategy describes data as a strategic raw material and driver of
a smart society and aims to establish a dynamic data ecosystem on the
national open data portal. Furthermore, it provides data providers
with data standards and tools that can be used to collaborate on and
develop data applications offering digital services as responses to
social challenges. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/13.ODM-2025-02.png]
FIGURE 2: Overview of the participating countries’ performance in
the policy dimension between 2018 and 2024 

_SOURCE: _OPEN DATA MATURITY REPORT
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/odm2024_full_report_0.pdf]

 

AN OVERVIEW OF THE PORTAL DIMENSION 

The portal dimension
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/open-data-maturity-report-2022-countries-perspectives-their-open-data]
of the ODM assesses the features of national open data portals and the
processes in place to ensure they meet the needs of users. The EU
average maturity score in this dimension was 82 % in 2024. 

In Figure 3, we see that Ireland
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_ireland_2024.pdf]
has shown a steady and well-above-average increase over the years,
consistently outpacing the EU average. In 2018, Ireland had a maturity
score of 88 %, compared to the EU average of 65 %, and in 2024
scored 96 %, compared to the 82 % EU average. This progress is
largely thanks to events like the Open Data Impact Series
[https://data.gov.ie/blog/open-data-impact-series-3-how-open-data-can-help-the-environment],
where Ireland gathers user feedback and suggestions, which are then
reviewed and implemented where possible to improve the portal. 

Other countries have increased their maturity in the portal dimension
more recently. For example, Croatia
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_croatia_2024.pdf]
has significantly advanced its portal maturity to 87 %, compared to
72 % in 2023. The portal team has focused on enabling both official
and non-official providers to publish open datasets while also
aggregating data from local and regional portals across the country.
By addressing challenges such as incomplete metadata harvesting,
Croatia has enhanced the accessibility and usability of its national
open data portal. These developments are closely aligned with emerging
needs and incorporated into the broader value stream, supporting
Croatia’s progress towards a comprehensive one-stop shop for open
data. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/13.ODM-2025-03.png]
FIGURE 3: Overview of the participating countries’ performance in
the portal dimension between 2018 and 2024 

_SOURCE: _OPEN DATA MATURITY REPORT
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/odm2024_full_report_0.pdf]

 

AN OVERVIEW OF THE QUALITY DIMENSION 

The quality
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/open-data-maturity-report-2022-countries-perspectives-open-data-quality]
dimension
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/open-data-maturity-report-2022-countries-perspectives-open-data-quality]
evaluates the efforts made by countries to ensure that metadata is
sourced automatically, kept up to date and made accessible by default.
This dimension has been maturing steadily over the past few years,
going from an EU average maturity score of 62 % in 2018 to 79 % in
2024. 

Figure 4 illustrates the performance of countries in this dimension.
France
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_france_2024.pdf]
is one of the top performers, with a maturity score of 100 % in
2024, compared to an EU average of 79 %. France lists several
activities to encourage data holders to provide high-quality metadata,
including initiatives related to data literacy and events that foster
the reusability of data, highlighting the importance of quality data
documentation, metadata descriptions and open data reuse. 

Portugal
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_portugal_2024.pdf]
has also demonstrated strong growth in this dimension in recent years.
Their score improved by 17 percentage points from 2022 to 2023, and,
in 2024, Portugal surpassed the EU average of 79 %, achieving an
86 % maturity score. For example, they have introduced data models
to assess data quality and are one of the few Member States to offer
more than 90 % of published data with links to other trusted sources
for additional context for reusers. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/13.ODM-2025-05.png]
FIGURE 4: Overview of the participating countries’ performance in
the quality dimension between 2018 and 2024 

_SOURCE: _OPEN DATA MATURITY REPORT
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/odm2024_full_report_0.pdf]

 

AN OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT DIMENSION 

The impact dimension
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/datastories/open-data-maturity-report-2022-countries-perspectives-their-open-data-1]
of ODM assesses the activities undertaken to monitor and measure the
reuse of open data and the tangible outcomes generated by this reuse.
This dimension has historically been the lowest scoring but has been
converging with the other dimensions in recent years. 

Figure 5 illustrates the varying growth patterns between countries
in this dimension. Some of them, like Spain
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_spain_2024.pdf],
have consistently been in touch with the open data community to
understand how open data is being reused, as evidenced by several
reuse cases. For this reason, Spain has been leading in this dimension
for a long time. In 2018, Spain achieved the highest score (97 %),
compared to the 50 % EU average. In 2024, Spain is still among the
top 10 countries when it comes to impact. 

In contrast, other countries have experienced more recent improvements
in maturity. For example, Czechia
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_czechia_2024.pdf]
increased its maturity greatly, from 58 % in 2021 to 100 % in
2022. This is because Czechia has had a strong focus on observing the
level of reuse of open data. For instance, its public bodies organise
hackathons both to support open data reuse and to investigate reuse
cases. Additionally, the national open data team oversees feedback
collection by data providers and reports annually on their activities
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/country-factsheet_czechia_2024.pdf]. 
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/img/media/13.ODM-2025-04.png]
FIGURE 5: Overview of the participating countries’ performance in
the impact dimension between 2018 and 2024 

_SOURCE: _OPEN DATA MATURITY REPORT
[https://data.europa.eu/sites/default/files/odm2024_full_report_0.pdf]

 

CONCLUSION 

The 10th anniversary of the ODM report marks a significant milestone
for the achievements of countries across Europe in advancing their
open data practices. Over the past few years, we have seen remarkable
growth in the policy, portal, quality and impact dimensions, with
different countries emerging as leaders in various aspects. From the
creation of robust governance frameworks to innovative reuse cases,
these advancements have demonstrated the power of open data to
generate societal and economic benefits. This data story shows how
different countries have used different approaches to increase their
ODM, which can be an inspiration for other countries. 

Curious about the latest developments of 2024? Check out the 2024 ODM
report
[https://data.europa.eu/en/publications/open-data-maturity/2024], and
be sure to subscribe to our newsletter
[https://data.europa.eu/en/newsletter] to stay informed of the latest
developments in the open data landscape! 
