SDG Indicator 17.18.1: Statistical capacity indicators

1. Key features and metadata (a and b)

Definition: This indicator measures the capacity of countries to produce a set of official statistics from national databases to support the SDGs.

Sub-indicator Disaggregated by

SG_STT_ODIN

Open Data Inventory (ODIN) Coverage Index

No current data disaggregation available.

IQ_SPI_PIL4

Data Sources performance index (Statistical Performance Indicators Pillar 4) (Index)

IQ_SPI_PIL5

Data Infrastructure performance index (Statistical Performance Indicators Pillar 5) (Index)

Sources of information: The ODIN Coverage Index relies on data from National Statistical Office (NSO) websites and any official government sites or portals of the National Statistical System (NSS) that are linked to the NSO website. The Statistical Performance Indicators (SPI) rely on data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Open Data Watch, PARIS21, International Labour Organization (ILO), World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), International Household Survey Network (IHSN), United Nations (UN), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).Some data is collected directly from the websites of National Statistical Offices.

 

2. Data availability by region, SDG Global Database, as of 02 July 2025


Figure 4.46 Statistical capacity indicators

3. Proposed disaggregation, links to policymaking and its impact

Proposed disaggregation Link to policymaking Impact

The Open Data Inventory Coverage Index, by topical categories (0 to 100 scale) (Open Data Watch [ODW] 2024):

 

Social Statistics:

  • Population and vital statistics
  • Education facilities
  • Education outcomes
  • Health facilities
  • Health outcomes
  • Reproductive health
  • Food security and nutrition
  • Gender statistics
  • Crime and justice statistics
  • Poverty and income statistics

Economic and Financial Statistics:

  • National accounts
  • Labor statistics
  • Price indexes
  • Government finance
  • Money and banking
  • International trade
  • Balance of payments

Environmental Statistics:

  • Agriculture and land use
  • Resource use
  • Energy
  • Pollution
  • Built environment

Applies to:

  • SG_STT_ODIN

This disaggregation emphasizes the coverage, openness and accessibility of data provided by NSO websites and other official government websites on all major dimensions of sustainable development (i.e. poverty, education, health, gender, and the environment).

It is useful information for countries to: (a) assess where they stand in terms of statistics availability and accessibility, topic by topic and (b) identify areas with critical gaps where efforts should be prioritized to allocate resources to enhance their national statistics systems.

This disaggregation is in line with the UN Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (UN 1998) and the IAEG-SDG recommendations regarding the ODIN Index.

By monitoring the public availability and openness of official statistics by sustainable development topics and assessing national governments’ ability to produce open data and their alignment to open data international standards, this disaggregation contributes to strengthening the transparency of national policies, related interventions and outcomes and, in doing so, the democratization of societies. It helps to foster the dialogue between the administration and various groups of stakeholders and is key to promoting the participation of civil society and development partners in public affairs. It is central to improving the awareness of the population on major development issues, general living conditions and wellbeing – notably, in relation to poverty, food security health, education, employment, and other social issues. Data accessibility and transparency is also critical for the sound management of environmental matters (UN 1998) as well as for the transition towards the economic sustainability of countries (Mohammed Islam and Lederman 2020).