International Right to Know Day 2025

More and more people believe it is important to have access to government information according to the Office of the Ombudsman’s latest annual survey.

The Ombudsman is marking International Right to Know Day on September 28, which recognises citizens’ right to access information and reinforces the importance of transparency in building trust in government.

The survey shows that 86 percent of people polled said it was very important or quite important to have access to government information – a rise of five percent on the previous year.

There was a slight increase in those who tried to access information held by government in the past three years (14 percent, up three percent).

For those who made requests, there was a big increase in the number satisfied with the response they received (45 percent, up by 12 percent).

An overwhelming majority of people (90 percent, up eight percent) received the requested information faster than expected and nine in 10 people had their expectations met or exceeded.

When asked if they got the information they asked for in the past three years, 80 percent said yes —up 24 percent.

Eight percent said they didn’t get the information they asked for (down 13 percent).