What Are the Usage Terms for Data Downloaded from GHDx?

Updated

Data that IHME makes available for download through the GHDx can be used, shared, modified, or built upon by non-commercial users, under the IHME FREE-OF-CHANGE NON-COMMERCIAL USER AGREEMENT. That permission applies specifically to IHME-provided downloads; it is not a blanket license for every dataset in the catalog. If your use is commercial, the GHDx page directs you to IHME's Terms and Conditions for inquiries rather than granting permission on the spot.

What the terms actually cover

The GHDx describes itself as a catalog of surveys, censuses, vital statistics, and other health-related data. That distinction matters: the catalog lists records from many sources, while the usage terms quoted on the site address data made available for download by IHME.

For those IHME downloads, the stated permissions are:

  • Use the data
  • Share the data
  • Modify the data
  • Build upon the data

All four are limited to non-commercial users, and all four operate "in accordance with the IHME FREE-OF-CHARGE NON-COMMERCIAL USER AGREEMENT."

The non-commercial condition

The permission is free of charge but conditional. The condition is the nature of the user, not the size of the download or the number of people involved. If your project is commercial, the free-of-charge non-commercial agreement is not the relevant document — the site points you to IHME Terms and Conditions instead.

A practical way to read this: the agreement grants broad freedom to work with the data (including modifying and building on it) precisely because it is scoped to non-commercial use. Step outside that scope and the permission no longer describes your situation.

Commercial use: what the page says and doesn't say

The GHDx page does not grant commercial rights and does not publish commercial pricing. It states only that commercial-use inquiries should go to IHME Terms and Conditions. So:

Question What the page supports
Can non-commercial users download and modify IHME data? Yes, under the free-of-charge non-commercial agreement
Can commercial users rely on the same terms? No — the page directs commercial inquiries to IHME Terms and Conditions
Is there a published commercial price? Not on this page
Is the data free for everyone? No — free-of-charge is tied to non-commercial use

Before you download: a short checklist

  1. Identify the source. Confirm the dataset is one IHME makes available for download, since the quoted terms apply to IHME-provided downloads.
  2. Classify your use. Decide whether your project is non-commercial. If it is commercial, stop and follow the IHME Terms and Conditions route.
  3. Read the agreement. The permissions (use, share, modify, build upon) are defined by the IHME FREE-OF-CHARGE NON-COMMERCIAL USER AGREEMENT, so the agreement — not this summary — governs.
  4. Check for per-dataset terms. The catalog aggregates records from multiple sources; individual records may carry their own conditions.

Common sticking points

  • "Free" is not the same as "unrestricted." The page signals a "subscribe" keyword, but lists no pricing links or payment platforms. Nothing on the page supports treating the data as free for commercial purposes or as requiring no login.
  • The catalog is broader than the license. The usage terms quoted cover IHME downloads, not necessarily every record you can find through GHDx search.
  • Modification is allowed — within scope. You can modify and build upon IHME data as a non-commercial user; that permission does not extend to commercial products.

For anything beyond non-commercial use, treat the IHME Terms and Conditions as the starting point rather than assuming the download terms carry over.