Freedom of information statistics

Brief description

The _Freedom of Information Act 1982_ (Cth) provides a right of access to documents held by Australian Government agencies and ministers. Sometimes a charge may apply to an FOI request, and review mechanisms allow people to appeal decisions on an FOI request if they disagree.

The data below shows the number of requests received since 1982-83 and the amount of charges notified and collected. This data is sourced from data provided to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) and previous FOI annual reports prepared each year from 1983 onwards. The 1982-83 data covers only seven months (December 1982 to June 1983), and the data about requests for personal information compared to other requests has only been collected from 2000-01 onwards.

Agencies and ministers are also required to provide to the OAIC quarterly and annual statistical returns on FOI activity, review numbers and estimated costs. The returns data since 2011-12 is available here in CSV format and in a summary Excel spreadsheet.

In these files a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.

The Excel is optimised for readability and contains additional processing (such as applying a salary multiplier to agency estimated staff time data). Finally, the original survey questions for each year are included: each of the columns in the CSVs can be linked to a survey question asked that year.

Full description

FOI requests, costs and charges 1982-2024.csv - High-level whole-of-government FOI requests, charges and costs data over the life of the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth).
Agency FOI data 2023-24.xlsx - All Australian Government agencies' FOI statistics for 2023-24. Includes FOI request numbers, outcomes, timeliness, charges, practical refusals, exemptions applied, amendment applications, disclosure log and IPS. Also includes staffing for FOI functions and associated non-labour costs.\r\n\r\nIn this file a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.
Agency FOI data 2022-23.xlsx - All Australian Government agencies' FOI statistics for 2022-23. Includes FOI request numbers, outcomes, timeliness, charges, practical refusals, exemptions applied, amendment applications, disclosure log and IPS. Also includes staffing for FOI functions and associated non-labour costs.\r\n\r\nIn this file a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.
Agency FOI data 2021-22.xlsx - All Australian Government agencies' FOI statistics for 2020-21. Includes FOI request numbers, outcomes, timeliness, charges, practical refusals, exemptions applied, amendment applications, disclosure log and IPS. Also includes staffing for FOI functions and associated non-labour costs.\r\n\r\nIn this file a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.
Agency FOI data 2020-21.xlsx - All Australian Government agencies' FOI statistics for 2020-21. Includes FOI request numbers, outcomes, timeliness, charges, practical refusals, exemptions applied, amendment applications, disclosure log and IPS. Also includes staffing for FOI functions and associated non-labour costs.\r\n\r\nIn this file a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.
Agency FOI data - 2019-20 (Excel).xlsx - All Australian Government agencies' FOI statistics for 2019-20. Includes FOI request numbers, outcomes, timeliness, charges, practical refusals, exemptions applied, amendment applications, disclosure log and IPS. Also includes staffing for FOI functions and associated non-labour costs.\r\n\r\nIn this file a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.
FOI quarterly returns data 2018-19.csv - FOI requests numbers (broken into 'personal' and 'other' requests), outcomes, exemptions applied, charges levied, practical refusals, timeliness, disclosure log and the information publication scheme.\r\n\r\nIn this file a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.
FOI annual returns data 2018-19.csv - Dataset includes staffing numbers and costs associated with FOI work and non-staff costs such as legal and litigation expenses, general administrative and training costs.
Agency FOI data - 2018-19 (Excel).xlsx - All Australian Government agencies' FOI statistics for 2018-19. Includes FOI request numbers, outcomes, timeliness, charges, practical refusals, exemptions applied, amendment applications, disclosure log and IPS. Also includes staffing for FOI functions and associated non-labour costs.\r\n\r\nIn this file a column identified by either 'P' or 'personal' refers to FOI requests for predominantly personal information in relation to the criteria in row 1 above that heading. Similarly the adjacent column to the right identified by 'O' or 'other’ refers to all other FOI requests for that particular criteria. The column immediately adjacent, to the right of 'O' headed by 'T', contains the total of the 'P' and 'O' columns.
Guide to quarterly and annual statistical returns 2019.rtf - Guide to adding FOI statistics to the FOIstats portal administered by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner. All agencies subject to the FOI Act are required to provide quarterly and annual FOI statistics within the statutory timeframes in the Freedom of Information (Prescribed Authorities, Principal Offices and Annual Report) Regulations 2017.
FOI quarterly returns data 2017-18 CSV - Data from Commonwealth agencies and ministers for the quarterly FOI statistical returns to the OAIC for 2017-18
FOI annual returns data 2017-18 CSV - Data from Commonwealth agencies and ministers about estimated FOI staff and other costs in 2017-18.
FOI data 2017-18 Excel - Human-readable version of 2017-18 annual and statistical returns data with additional formatting and calculations.
FOI quarterly returns data 2016-17 CSV - Data from agencies and ministers about the number of FOI requests, use of exemptions, internal review and disclosure log activity in 2016-17.
FOI annual returns data 2016-17 CSV - \r\nData from agencies and ministers about estimated FOI staff and other costs in 2016-17.\r\n
FOI data 2016-17 Excel - Human-readable version of 2016-17 annual and statistical returns data with additional formatting and calculations.
FOI quarterly returns data 2015-16 CSV - Data from agencies and ministers about the number of FOI requests, use of exemptions, internal review and disclosure log activity in 2015-16.
FOI annual returns data 2015-16 CSV - Data from agencies and ministers about estimated FOI staff and other costs in 2015-16.
FOI data 2015-16 Excel - Human-readable version of 2015-16 annual and statistical returns data with additional formatting and calculations
Guide to quarterly and statistical returns 2016 - Each question in this RTF document can be linked to a column in the quarterly and annual returns CSVs.
FOI quarterly returns data 2014–15 CSV - Data from agencies and ministers about the number of FOI requests, use of exemptions, internal review and disclosure log activity in 2014-15.
FOI annual returns data 2014–15 CSV - Data from agencies and ministers about estimated FOI staff and other costs in 2014-15.
FOI data 2014-15 Excel - Human-readable version of 2014-15 annual and statistical returns data with additional formatting and calculations.
FOI quarterly returns data 2013–14 CSV - Data from agencies and ministers about the number of FOI requests, use of exemptions, internal review and disclosure log activity in 2013-14.
FOI annual returns data 2013–14 CSV - Data from agencies and ministers about estimated FOI staff and other costs in 2013-14.
FOI data 2013–14 Excel - Human-readable version of 2013-14 annual and statistical returns data with additional formatting and calculations.
FOI quarterly returns data 2012–13 - Data from agencies and ministers about the number of FOI requests, use of exemptions, internal review and disclosure log activity in 2012-13.
FOI annual returns data 2012–13 - Data from agencies and ministers about estimated FOI staff and other costs in 2012-13.
FOI data 2012–13 Excel - Human-readable version of 2012-13 annual and statistical returns data with additional formatting and calculations.
Guide to the quarterly and statistical returns 2012–15 - Each question in this RTF document can be linked to a column in the quarterly and annual returns CSVs.
FOI quarterly returns data 2011–12 - Data from agencies and ministers about the number of FOI requests, use of exemptions and internal review activity in 2011-12.
FOI annual returns data 2011–12 - Data from agencies and ministers about estimated FOI staff and other costs in 2011-12.
FOI data 2011–12 Excel - Human-readable version of 2011-12 annual and statistical returns data with additional formatting and calculations.
Guide to the quarterly and statistical returns 2011–12 - Each question in this RTF document can be linked to a column in the quarterly and annual returns CSVs.