3 June 2025 — Last week the Global Data Barometer launched the Second Edition of its eponymous global index study analyzing the extent to which data is governed, shared, and used for the public good. The Land Portal has served as a Thematic Partner for land since the First Edition of the GBD. For the Second Edition, we again co-produced the Land Management cluster, providing the SOLIndex methodology and data for most of the countries. Like the SOLIndex, the GDB’s Land Management cluster helps identify countries where land data is lacking or can be improved and also points to positive examples that can be replicated. 

With the GDB, we can also understand the availability and openness of land data as compared to other sectors, such as Public Finance, Public Procurement, and Political Integrity. While the GDB Land Module provides a global benchmark for land data broadly, the SOLI research and reports dive deep into the state of a country’s open land data. Together, these complementary tools inform the land community’s work to improve transparency and access to land data.

Explore the Global Data Barometer Second Edition Data

Download the Second Edition of the GDB report in English, French and Spanish.

Key Insights from the GDB Second Edition Land Management Cluster: 

• Land data scored the lowest at 19.85 amongst all the subject areas, with public procurement data coming in at the highest with 68.94.
• 30% of countries (13 of 43) have some land tenure-related data available directly from the government, that 51% (22) have data available but not from the government, and 19% of countries (8) do not make any data available.
• 52% of countries do not have any data on indigenous land tenure, and 48% of countries do not have any data on communal lands. However, other kinds of data are more available. For example, 86% of countries have data related to natural resources.

“Barometer results indicate that there is a great deal of variation, nationally and regionally, but generally the land use data ecosystem is still very incomplete. There are multiple dimensions to land data and much more needs to be done to improve not only data collection, but the governance and open publication of existing digital data collections.” 

– Charl-Thom Bayer, principle contributor to the Land Management cluster of the GDB

ABOUT 

The Land Portal’s State of Land Information Index (SOLIndex) assesses the completeness and openness of public sector land administration data globally. The SOLIndex serves as a benchmark and diagnostic tool for policymakers, land data custodians, researchers, and practitioners, to identify information gaps, support transparency and improve decision-making for land governance. The SOLIndex evaluates data and information needed or generated in the provision of land management service across the primary land administration functions. It provides globally comparable indicators across 4 core data categories (tenure data, land use data, land value data, and land development data) as well as legal and policy information.

The Global Data Barometer (GDB) is an assessment tool that measures how effectively countries are fostering healthy data ecosystems. It examines the infrastructure, processes, and strategies needed to ensure that data serves the public good, providing a detailed view of governance, data availability, and ecosystem capabilities that underscore data’s role in our society. The first edition of the GDB delivered essential insights into the foundational elements required for developing inclusive and sustainable data ecosystems worldwide. Building on this foundation, the second edition expands its focus, especially on the Global Majority, to trace the evolving landscape of data ecosystems. This edition deepens the analysis of key areas such as data foundations for AI, inclusion, and other cross-cutting issues, while enhancing the core areas covered in the inaugural report.