Data4SDGs – Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data

Over 70 governments, civil society groups, companies, international organizations, and expert networks from all corners of the world joined forces in the historic launch of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data in New York City on Monday, September 28th, 2015. This unique Global Partnership will strengthen data-driven decision-making to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. These visionary Global Goals were agreed to by 193 Member-States of the United Nations.


The Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data will harness the data revolution to fill critical gaps, and ensure data is more open and useable to end extreme poverty, combat climate change, and ensure a healthy life for all, leaving no one behind. A data revolution is sweeping the globe with new technologies, skills, and opportunities to connect official statistics, big data, citizen-generated data, geospatial and earth observations data for the public good. The opening up of government data to improve policy-making, foster entrepreneurial innovation and empower citizens is further bolstering the data revolution.

Champions of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data include the Government’s of Colombia, France, Italy, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Philippines, Senegal, United Kingdom, and United States of America; CIVICUS, Hewlett Foundation, ONE Campaign, United Nations Foundation, World Wide Web Foundation, and World Resources Institute; Digital Globe, ESRI, Facebook, IBM, Nielsen, Mastercard, Planet Labs, and SAP; a range of agencies from the United Nations including the United Nations Development Program, United Nations Global Pulse, as well as key international organizations such as the World Bank Group and OECD; as well as networks such as GEO, GODAN, Paris21, and UNSDSN, along with many organizations from across sectors and regions of the world.

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Financing SDG data needs: What does it cost?

The Global Partnership on Sustainable Development Data’s “State of Development Data Funding“ and PARIS21’s “Report on Support to Statistics (PRESS)“ provide cost estimates on the SDG data production for 77 IDA-eligible countries over the next 15 years and estimate the increase in domestic and donor funds needed to make this happen. To help developing countries measure and monitor the SDGs, around US$5.1 billion for the period until 2030 is needed in extra donor funding. This equates to some US$340 million per year, which is less than 0.5% of Official Development Assistance. This amount will be slightly higher if the additional needs of the 67 IBDR countries are taken into account, which have an estimated cost per year of US$85 million.

While a $340 million price tag for data and statistics is not insignificant, it is nearly equal to the combined salary and endorsements of three top soccer players — Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar — which stands at $207 million.
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Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data
STRATEGY 2024-2030

Governments are investing in digital services, and corporate investment in artificial intelligence (AI) has increased more than sixfold since 2015. These are powerful new technologies, with data at their heart. Digital technologies’ ability to help drive equitable, sustained progress depends on the quality of the data being used and the effectiveness, transparency, and inclusivity of regulatory and data governance frameworks.

To address the evolving role we need to play in this ecosystem, the Global Partnership has launched an ambitious new strategy to guide the work of the network until 2030. Co-created with our partners, we hope this strategy is a useful tool for prioritizing how we can work together and how different initiatives can align across the network.
Download PDF > data4sdgs.org/resources/global-partnership-2024-2030-strategy