Welcome to opendata.swiss, Switzerland’s national open government data portal. Here, you will find thousands of government datasets issued by the Swiss Confederation, cantons, communes and partner institutions.
This site is for everyone, be they members of the public, journalists, developers, SMEs, students, teachers or public administrations.
The aim of this guide is to help you start exploring, downloading and using the data provided by Switzerland’s public authorities.
Table of contents
- What is Open Government Data ?
- A qui s’adresse ce portail ?
- Comment utiliser opendata.swiss ?
- Comprendre les métadonnées
- Utiliser les données
- Contribuer
- Se tenir au courant
What is Open Government Data ?
Open government data (ODG) means public information that is made available free of charge for use by anyone.
It all began with an ambitious vision: to make government data available to everybody. Back in 2009, then-US President Barack Obama made a bold move. In the belief that transparency had the power to transform government, he launched Data.gov, the world’s first national data portal. Other countries quickly followed suit, making their government data accessible with a view to fostering innovation and boosting public engagement.
This data sharing allows cities to optimise their urban transport networks in real time, startups to create applications and members of the public to monitor the actions of their elected representatives. However, the challenges involved are sizeable, ranging from a lack of resources to resistance to change and the need to strike a balance between openness and data protection.
In the intervening years, OGD has become a pillar of modern democracy, proving that with determination and transparency, it is possible to strengthen trust in public administrations and to create an ecosystem in which information circulates freely for the general good.
opendata.swiss brings together datasets from a variety of sources: you will find information shared by federal bodies, cantons, communes and other public and research institutions. The data cover a wide variety of topics, including geography, statistics, the environment, health and much more. They are regularly updated in an accessible, machine-readable format.
Who is this portal aimed at?
| 👥 General public | Understanding decisions, visualising projects, tracking public expenditure |
| 📰 Journalists | Investigating local finances, public procurement contracts, transport |
| 🧑💻 Developers | Creating applications based on the data (transport, weather, urban development, etc.) |
| 🎓 Students and researchers | Using reliable data in dissertations, theses and analysis |
| 🏫 Teachers | Using real-world data in class, creating multidisciplinary projects |
| 🏢 SMEs and self-employed people | Exploring local trends (population, urban development, employment, etc.) |
How do I use opendata.swiss?
Explore the data
Start by going to the site’s homepage. You can simply enter a keyword into the search engine on this page, or you can navigate by category to discover the available datasets. To perform an advanced search, go straight to the page entitled ‘Data’.
Filter the results
Once you are in the ‘Data’ section, you can use filters to refine your search (left-hand side). They allow you select specific criteria, such as:
- Categories: choose a subject area that you are interested in, such as agriculture, health or education
- Organisations: filter by the institutions or organisations that published the data
- Format: search for data in formats such as CSV, JSON or XML that can be easily processed
View and download data
If you are interested in a particular dataset, you can consult it by clicking on ‘Preview’ (where available); then you can simply view it by clicking the ‘Go to resource’ button or download it via the ‘Download’ button (where available). Most datasets are available instantly and for free in multiple formats. If you are a developer or analyst, you can also use APIs (where available) to directly access the data.
In need of assistance? Consult the handbook
You can check the handbook at any time.
Understanding the metadata
The data is gross information, such as figures or survey findings. By contrast, the metadata contains information about this data: it specifies the source, format, the date on which it was collected and the terms of use. Essentially, the metadata helps users to interpret, organise and use the data.
opendata.swiss is a catalogue of metadata. In other words, the raw data is hosted by the data owners; opendata.swiss merely publishes a reference to the data, in the form of this metadata.
Every dataset is accompanied by metadata – additional information helping you to better understand the content of the data:
- Description: a summary of the contents of the dataset
- Source: the organisation or institution responsible for publishing the data
- Terms of use: these specify the authorised forms of use of the data (often open and free, but sometimes subject to specific conditions, such as a requirement to provide the source and whether commercial use is permitted or not)
- Last updated: the date on which the data was most recently modified
- Contact point: contact information for the person or organisation responsible for the data
Using the data
Once you have accessed the data, you can, for example:
- Analyse the data using tools such Excel, R, Python or specialist data analysis and visualisation software
- Create applications by integrating data into applications, websites or services to create innovative solutions
- Share the results by creating reports or visualisations (do not hesitate to share them with the community)
Contribute
At opendata.swiss, we welcome every new contribution to the catalogue, as long as it meets the Open Government Data (OGD) Guidelines (de, fr) and is of public interest. Find out more [link to FAQs].
Stay up to date
Stay informed about the latest data to be shared on opendata.swiss. Subscribe to datasets that interest you to be automatically notified whenever they are modified or updated.
Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications about new publications, major updates and examples of data in use. You can also follow us on social media (LinkedIn, Instagram, Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube) for real-time tips and news.
We hope this guide will be useful to you as you start using opendata.swiss. If you have any questions, you can check our FAQs [insert link], or don’t hesitate to contact us directly.
Enjoy exploring and using Switzerland’s open government data!
Find out more
- Publication handbook (de, fr): detailed guide for data providers and users
- Showcases: discover projects based on Swiss open data
- Contact : for all queries about publishing or using data
