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The Open Data Maturity Report is an annual evaluation that since 2015 has analysed the development and evolution of open data initiatives in the European Union. Coordinated by the European Data Portal (data.europa.eu) and carried out in collaboration with the European Commission, this report assesses 36 participating countries: the 27 EU Member States, 3 European Free Trade Association countries (Iceland, Norway and Switzerland) and 6 candidate countries.
The report assesses four key dimensions:
- Policy (strategies and regulatory frameworks)
- Portal (functionalities and usability)
- Quality (metadata and data standards)
- Impact (reuse and benefits generated)
In the 2025 edition, Spain stood out with a score of 100% in the impact block compared to the European average of 82.1%. In general terms, it occupies the fifth position among the countries of the European Union with a total score of 95.6%, forming part of the group of countries that prescribe trends.
A differential aspect of this edition of the report is the incorporation of a descriptive and contextual approach that complements the traditional regulatory model, creating clusters of countries to allow fairer comparisons. These clusters group countries with similar economic, social, political, and digital characteristics, and are based on profiles that explain how open data policies are implemented, not just what results are obtained. The aim is to invite countries to look at their peers , learn from comparable experiences and promote more effective peer-to-peer learning than based solely on general rankings.
In addition to quantifying it, the report includes use cases and good practices carried out by countries to open and reuse public sector data. In this post, we highlight some of them that can serve as inspiration to continue improving our open data ecosystem.
Croatia's inclusive and coordinated governance
One of the most noteworthy aspects of the 2025 report is how some countries have managed to establish strong governance structures that ensure coordination between different levels of administration and multi-stakeholder participation.
Croatia stands out for having established in 2025 the Coordination for the Implementation of the Open Data Policy, a multisectoral body that monitors regulatory compliance, improves data accessibility, and supports authorities. This model ensures broad participation and ensures that national and local initiatives are aligned. The national portal functions as a central hub, complemented by local portals such as the one for the city of Zagreb. In addition, knowledge exchanges are encouraged through coordination meetings, regular updates and collaborations with universities, such as the Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Zagreb.
France's complete data governance structure
This country leads the ranking of the Open Data Maturity Report thanks, among others, to its comprehensive governance model that integrates open data roles at all administrative levels. At the national level, the General Data Administrator coordinates public data policy and oversees a network of chief data officers in each ministry. Etalab, the national open data and digital innovation unit, manages this network and provides technical support.
At the ministerial level, each data controller manages the data policy (openness, quality and reuse), supported by Etalab. Some ministries also appoint specific open data officers and data stewards who handle technical and organizational aspects of the publication. At the local level, each regional representative (préfet) designates a referent for data, algorithms and source codes. The Digital Inter-Ministerial Directorate also coordinates a network of API managers to enable dynamic access to data. They also ensure compliance with DCAT-AP in their metadata, as we do in Spain.
Effective implementation: from strategy to action in Italy
Italian public administrations are obliged to adopt data publication plans, following national guidelines, which prioritise high-value datasets, dynamic data and user-requested information. The implementation is supported by a robust monitoring system. The Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) tracks progress through its Digital Transformation Dashboard, which reports the growth of datasets in dati.gov.it.
Policies are updated regularly: the latest three-year plan (2024-2026) was adopted in December 2024. To assist data holders and officials, AgID provides guidance, conducts webinars, and launched the AgID Academy to strengthen digital competencies.
Culture of reuse in Poland and Ukraine
A crucial aspect of encouraging open data is to provide practical resources to guide public organizations throughout the process. Poland stands out for its open data manual, the second edition of which was published by the Ministry of Digital Affairs.
This updated handbook introduces new categories of data, explains how regulations shape open data policies, and introduces the Poland Data Portal.
The handbook functions as a checklist for offices, guiding them through their responsibilities to open data and foster a culture of reuse and include tools such as an openness checklist for compliance.
In this regard, Ukraine has also adopted an approach towards reuse and the generation of resources that incentivise this reuse of data. The Ministry of Digital Transformation has developed a comprehensive set of resources and tools including detailed technical documentation and templates to help prepare and publish datasets aligned with national standards, covering metadata structuring, licensing, and compliance with the DCAT-AP standard.
The national portal includes functionalities for tracking the publication and reuse of datasets. Suppliers receive feedback on the quality and completeness of their metadata, helping them identify areas for improvement. In addition, regular training sessions and workshops are organized to develop the skills of publishers, promoting a shared understanding of open data principles and technical requirements.
Albania: comprehensive redesign of the portal
This country exemplifies the maturity improvements that can be achieved through a comprehensive update of the national open data portal. The large-scale revamp of the portal improved usability, transparency, and user engagement.
The updated portal now features a dataset rating system (1-5 stars), a dedicated news section on open data topics , and multiple notification options, including RSS and Atom feeds, and email. Users can track the progress of their data requests, which are actively monitored and responses summarized in publicly available reports.
To better understand and respond to user needs, the portal team tracks search keywords, analyzes traffic, and conducts user surveys and workshops.
Lithuania: official monitoring methodology
One of the key practices highlighted in the report is the adoption of formal frameworks and structured methodologies that provide a systematic way to assess the impact of open data. Lithuania excels with a comprehensive approach because it defines how institutions should report on open data activities, ensuring consistency, accountability, and compliance across the public sector.
In addition, the Ministry of Economy and Innovation made calculations to estimate the economic impact of open data. This analysis provides quantifiable evidence of the contribution of open data to innovation, productivity and job creation. The results show that open data in Lithuania creates a market value of approximately €566 billion (around 1.2% of GDP) and supports close to 8,000 value-added jobs.
Germany: systematic funding for collaboration
Germany's mFund initiative provides structured financial support for mobility-related data projects, fostering partnerships beyond government.
An example is the miki (mobil im Kiez) project, which develops navigation and orientation solutions for people with limited mobility through the active engagement of civil society. The team created a national prototype with visualizations for cities such as Cologne, Kassel, Munich, Potsdam and Saarbrücken, showing building barriers and road surfaces. These visualizations will be integrated into Wheelmap.org, helping individuals with mobility disabilities.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Open Data Maturity Report 2025 demonstrates that the most open data mature European countries share common characteristics: inclusive and well-structured governance, effective implementation supported by planning and monitoring, practical support to data publishers, continuous technical innovation in portals and, crucially, systematic impact measurement.
The good practices highlighted here are transferable and adaptable. We invite Spanish public administrations to explore these experiences, adapt them to their local contexts and share their own innovations, thus contributing to an increasingly robust and impact-oriented European open data ecosystem.
