Ensuring The DHS Program Archive is Available for Generations to Come

When U.S. foreign assistance priorities shifted last year, many feared that the DHS Archive (i.e., the public repository of DHS Program microdata and knowledge products) would cease to exist. That outcome never came to pass, and we are proud to have kept the Archive accessible. Nonetheless, the Archive’s vulnerability, relying on a single funder and single operator, must be addressed.

To that end, ICF, the long-time custodian of the DHS Archive, is actively exploring partnerships for archive mirror or back-up site(s) hosting; partnerships designed to be unaffected by swings in external funding. Today (May 6, 2026), we launched our Request for Information (RFI): Establishment of Mirror or Backup Sites for The Demographic and Health Surveys Program Archive.

You will find the RFI announcement at https://dhsprogram.com. Please review, share, and respond by June 19, 2026.

Speaking of the DHS Archive, we also want to share an important reminder:

All DHS Program data are country owned.

Country ownership of survey data has been a cornerstone of The DHS Program since its beginning in 1984 and continues to this day. If you are a member of a country statistical organization or other DHS partner institution that has implemented a DHS Program survey and are need of copies of your country’s datasets (standard recode files) or reports (e.g., final report), please reach out to us at archive@dhsprogram.com with a description of what you need. We will respond promptly with a secure link and instructions to download the requested resources.

As always, if you are a DHS data user interested in accessing DHS microdata, please submit your request following these simple steps.

Thank you for your continued participation in The DHS Program!