ghdx.healthdata.org

What is GHDx?

GHDx, the Global Health Data Exchange, is a catalog of health-related datasets: surveys, censuses, vital statistics records, and similar sources. It is a discovery layer rather than an analysis tool. You use it to find out what data exists, who produced it, what it covers, and how to obtain it — then download from the original provider or from IHME where that applies.

What you can actually do with it

• Search by topic, location, or source. The catalog is organized around search and country browsing, so you can narrow from "health data" to a specific country or indicator.
• Check coverage before committing. A catalog entry tells you whether a dataset covers the years and geography you need, which prevents wasted effort chasing files that turn out to be irrelevant.
• Trace provenance. For research, citations, or replication, knowing the original survey or statistical office behind a figure matters as much as the number itself.
• Find IHME-produced data. Datasets released by IHME, including Global Burden of Disease results, are downloadable through the catalog under a free-of-charge non-commercial user agreement.

Who it suits

The practical limitation is the same one that makes a catalog useful: it does not harmonize or visualize anything for you. Two datasets on the same topic may use different definitions, age bands, or sampling frames, and reconciling them is your job.

A concrete next step

If you need child mortality estimates for a set of countries, start by searching the catalog for the indicator and the countries, note which entries come from IHME versus national statistical offices, and read the access terms on each record before downloading. For the IHME-produced series, check the terms page linked from the catalog entry to confirm your use is covered. If you want the underlying survey microdata rather than estimates, expect to be redirected to the original custodian's own access process.

For related catalogs, the World Health Organization's data portal at WHO Data and the World Bank's open data at World Bank Open Data cover overlapping ground with different indicator sets; Our World in Data is useful when you want already-visualized series rather than raw files.

How can I find health data for a specific country using GHDx?

Use the Countries entry in GHDx's main menu or the search form on the homepage to narrow the catalog to a single country. GHDx is a catalog rather than a data generator: it points you to surveys, censuses, vital statistics and other health-related datasets, and the country view is the fastest way to see what exists for that place before you start searching by topic.

A practical workflow

1. Open the GHDx homepage and choose Countries.
2. Select your country of interest to see the records cataloged for it.
3. Use the search box to add a topic or dataset type — for example, a specific survey series, maternal health, or mortality — so the country list is filtered rather than browsed in full.
4. Open a record to read its description, coverage, and provenance, then follow the access or download route it provides.
5. Check the terms attached to the record before using the data. GHDx notes that IHME-downloadable data is covered by its free-of-charge non-commercial user agreement, with separate terms for commercial use.

What to expect, and where the limits are

Country pages mix many record types, so results can look uneven: one country may have rich survey coverage and another mostly vital statistics. Records also differ in whether the data itself is downloadable or only described, and some point to the original publisher.

If your question is comparative rather than country-specific — say, how a country's mortality estimates compare with its neighbors — start from the topic or indicator and use country as a filter, which is usually more efficient than visiting country pages one by one. For estimates produced by IHME, the companion site IHME is the natural next stop; for country statistics from international agencies, World Bank Data and UN Data cover adjacent ground.

What types of data sources are included in the GHDx catalog?

GHDx catalogs surveys, censuses, vital statistics, and other health-related data — the four categories named on its own front page. In practice that means household health and demographic surveys, national population censuses, civil registration and vital statistics records, and a broader set of health datasets such as disease estimates and indicator series.

What each category is useful for

• Surveys — household and individual-level questionnaires covering health, nutrition, demographics and risk factors. Best when you need respondent-level variables rather than national totals.
• Censuses — full population counts with small-area detail. Best for denominators, subnational breakdowns and population structure.
• Vital statistics — births, deaths and cause-of-death registration. Best for mortality and fertility trends where registration systems are reliable.
• Other health-related data — indicator compilations, estimates and related datasets that do not fit the three record types above.

How to choose

Start from the unit of analysis you need. If you want individual records, filter toward surveys. If you want a complete count for a district or region, censuses are the better fit. If you want a time series of deaths or births, vital statistics are the natural target. For cross-country comparisons of estimated indicators, the broader health-data category is usually faster than assembling primary records yourself.

A practical next step: search for your country first, then narrow by data type, and check the record's metadata for the year, sample size and producing organization before downloading. Two related sources worth knowing are IHME for the estimates behind much of the catalog, and World Bank Data for comparable development indicators.

One caveat: access terms vary by record. The catalog notes that IHME-provided downloads are free for non-commercial use under its user agreement, with separate terms for commercial use, so check the individual record's licensing before republishing anything.

Can I download data from GHDx for my own research, and what are the usage terms?

Yes. GHDx is a catalog for finding health-related datasets, and much of the data listed there can be downloaded for non-commercial research. The terms depend on the dataset and the provider, so check the individual record rather than assuming one license covers everything.

What GHDx is for

GHDx describes itself as a catalog of surveys, censuses, vital statistics, and other health-related data. It is a discovery layer: you search or browse by topic, country, or source, then follow the record to the data or to the organization that holds it. Some records point to files hosted by IHME; others point to external providers with their own access rules.

Usage terms in practice

The page evidence states that data made available for download by IHME can be used, shared, modified, or built upon by non-commercial users under the IHME Free-of-Charge Non-Commercial User Agreement. Commercial use requires a separate inquiry through IHME's terms and conditions.

For your own research, the practical decision rule is:

• IHME-hosted downloads: non-commercial research use is generally permitted under the free-of-charge non-commercial agreement. Read the agreement before you publish or redistribute.
• Third-party records: the catalog entry links to the original source. That source's license, registration requirement, or embargo governs your use.
• Redistribution: sharing a modified dataset is different from citing it. Confirm whether the license allows redistribution and what attribution it requires.
• Commercial or funded work with commercial partners: treat this as outside the free non-commercial agreement and seek permission.

A concrete workflow

Suppose you are a graduate researcher studying adult mortality. Search GHDx for the country and indicator, open the record, and note who provides the data and what access conditions apply. If the record links to an IHME download, save the agreement text alongside the files so you can check attribution wording when you write up. If it links elsewhere, follow that provider's process, which may involve registration or an application.

For related catalogs with their own terms, see World Bank Open Data and Our World in Data. Always confirm the license on the specific dataset record before relying on it.

How do I search for GBD 2023 data or other IHME datasets on GHDx?

Start at the GHDx catalog and use the two entry points it provides: the GBD 2023 data link for that specific round of the Global Burden of Disease study, or All IHME data if you want the full set of datasets the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation publishes through the catalog. Both are on the main Global Health Data Exchange page, so you do not need to know a dataset's exact name before you begin.

A practical search path

1. Pick your entry point. Choose GBD 2023 if your question is tied to that round's estimates; choose All IHME data if you are browsing more broadly or comparing rounds.
2. Narrow with the search form. The catalog's search and filter controls let you combine terms — for example a cause or risk name plus a location, or a data type such as survey, census or vital statistics.
3. Use the Countries view when geography is the starting point. If you need everything available for one place, browsing by country is often faster than keyword searching.
4. Check the record page before downloading. Catalog records describe what a dataset covers, its source and its scope, which tells you whether it fits your analysis before you commit to a large download.

Matching the tool to the task

Before you download

IHME material in the catalog is released under a free-of-charge non-commercial user agreement, and the GHDx page points to IHME's terms and conditions for commercial use. If your work is commercial, confirm the terms first rather than assuming the same conditions apply. A researcher preparing a paper for a university would typically be fine under the non-commercial terms; an analyst at a consultancy billing a client should check before reusing the data.

A useful next step: open the GBD 2023 entry, note the dataset you need, then run the same terms through the main search form to see whether a more recent or more granular release covers the same ground.

What should I do if I need to use GHDx data for commercial purposes?

Contact IHME directly about commercial use rather than downloading and assuming the standard terms cover you. The GHDx catalog page states that IHME data made available for download may be used, shared, modified or built upon by non-commercial users under the IHME Free-of-Charge Non-Commercial User Agreement, and it points commercial inquiries to IHME's Terms and Conditions. So the practical answer is: the free download route is framed around non-commercial use, and commercial permissions are handled separately.

What to do, in order

1. Identify exactly which datasets you need. GHDx is a catalog spanning surveys, censuses, vital statistics and other health-related data, so records can come from different producers with different conditions. Note the dataset name, the producing organization and the record page for each one.
2. Read the terms attached to each dataset, not just the site-wide notice. A catalog entry's own documentation is where restrictions, citation requirements and producer-specific conditions usually sit.
3. Contact IHME for commercial licensing. The page routes commercial-use questions to IHME's Terms and Conditions, which is the correct starting point for permissions, fees and scope.
4. Ask about your specific use in writing. State whether the data will sit inside a product, inform internal analysis, appear in a client deliverable, or be redistributed. These are treated differently.
5. Get permission before you build on it. If your workflow depends on the data, resolving licensing late can force a rebuild.

A quick way to think about it

A realistic scenario: a consultancy wants to map disease burden for a paying client. Downloading the file is technically easy, but the free agreement is written for non-commercial users, so the consultancy should request commercial terms first and budget time for that conversation before promising a delivery date.

Start by opening the dataset record you need on GHDx, copying its exact title and producer into an email, and sending that with a plain description of your commercial purpose to IHME.