Our Mission

Survey and census microdata are invaluable resources for statisticians, researchers and analysts. They constitute important and irreplaceable assets which need to be managed in a way that encourages their use and re-use, while protecting the privacy of respondents.

The National Data Archive has been established to:

• Promote best practice and international standards for the documentation of microdata amongst data producers in the country.
• Provide equitable access to microdata in the interest of all citizens, by protecting confidentiality and following international recommendations and good practice.
• Promote the effective use of existing survey and census data for statistical and research purposes, thereby encouraging a diverse range of analytical work through secondary research.
• Ensure the long term preservation of microdata and the related metadata, and their continued viability and usability in the future.

The National Data Archive pursues these objectives within the framework of the national legislation and of the United Nations Fundamental Principles of Statistics. Where microdata cannot be released due to confidentiality or other reasons, the National Data Archive provides the public with detailed metadata and other publicly available materials.