Open Government, Finland API

Free to Use Varies (check documentation)

Overview

The Open Government Finland API (avoindata.fi) provides free access to Finnish public sector datasets covering topics like geospatial data, transport, statistics, and government services. No API key is required. The English-language interface makes it accessible to international developers building Nordic or European data applications.

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Beginner Tip

Finland's portal is available in English at https://avoindata.suomi.fi/en; the CKAN API base URL is https://avoindata.suomi.fi/api/3/action/ and supports all standard CKAN actions like package_list and package_search.

Available Data

Use case: Integrate finland government open data data into web and mobile applications
Open Government, Finland data via REST API
JSON-formatted response data
Freely accessible without authentication

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "result": "Data from Open Government, Finland",
    "description": "Finland Government Open Data",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Field Reference

success True if the API request was handled successfully.
result The main payload; for searches contains count and results array.
count Number of datasets matching the query.
title Dataset title, often in Finnish or Swedish.
resources List of data files or service endpoints for the dataset, each with url and format.
license_title The open license under which the dataset is published, often Creative Commons or a Finnish government open license.

Implementation Example

const url = "https://www.avoindata.fi/en";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Finnish or Swedish metadata Most dataset titles and descriptions are in Finnish or Swedish even when browsing in English.
Use Finnish keywords such as liikenne (transport), ymparisto (environment), or vaesto (population) for more accurate search results.
SSL certificate error Some older HTTPS clients or libraries may not recognize the Finnish government certificate authority.
Update your HTTP client library to the latest version; if using curl, ensure you have up-to-date CA certificates installed.
Resource download returns redirect Some dataset files are hosted on external government ministry servers and may redirect multiple times.
Use curl -L to follow redirects automatically, or check the url field in the resource object for the final destination.

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 10/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 15/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 669ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Category Government
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-07

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