History of Charges
Historical DataLab and associated access and service charges for previous financial years
Important Note
The charges listed on this page are no longer current and are provided for transparency and historical reference only.
To view charges for the 2025-26 financial year, please visit the Charges page.
If you have any questions, please contact info@mydata.abs.gov.au
FY 2024-25 Charges
Approved users can access standard detailed microdata in DataLab for approved projects. This includes:
- ABS survey and census collections
- data ABS has collected from other organisations (with custodian approval)
- integrated microdata such as:
- Person Level Integrated Data Asset (PLIDA)
- Business Longitudinal Analysis Data Environment (BLADE) Core plus BLADE standard module (various ABS surveys), Intellectual Property Longitudinal Research Data (IPLORD) and Merchandise Imports and Exports
- PLIDA/BLADE linked data
Additional charges apply for customised data integration services.
DataLab charges
DataLab access incurs an annual charge. This charge is based on the number of analysts with virtual machine access in a project. The charge covers the annual costs of:
- project establishment and ongoing administration and support
- researcher onboarding (including training and refresher training)
- changes to analysts and discussants within a project
- standard virtual machine access for analysts
- standard software access for analysts (e.g., R, Python, Stata)
- project storage up to one terabyte
- standard output and input clearance
The ABS is committed to supporting the DataLab service and subsidising DataLab users. In 2023-24, increasing costs and budget constraints require the ABS to move towards a more sustainable partial cost recovery arrangement with all our clients. The below updated charges will allow the ABS to maintain its service levels as well as deliver critical system and infrastructure enhancements.
The ABS is adopting a staggered approach to price increases to minimise the impacts on existing projects. Existing projects are projects established before 1 July 2023. Existing and new projects will be subject to different pricing models for 2023-24 and 2024-25. Please see the below for more details.
Please note:
- Individual quotes will be prepared for projects with over 25 analysts.
- An increase in the number of analysts to the next tier will incur an additional charge equivalent to the next tier.
- Significant changes in project scope may result in the establishment of a new project.
- Project extensions after 1 July 2023 will be charged at the new project rates.
- Access to non-standard services are subject to additional charges, please see ‘Additional non-standard access and services charges’ table below.
- All charges are calculated quarterly, based on the month of request. For example, a project commencing in October will be charged the annual fee and any non-standard DataLab access based on three quarters of the financial year.
- Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be applied to charges unless the organisation is exempt.
Annual charges for existing projects
Existing projects are projects established before 1 July 2023.
Tier 1 and 2 projects (projects with under 10 analysts)
- Tier 1 and 2 projects will continue to be charged the same annual rates for financial years 2023-24 and 2024-25.
- Prices will increase from 2025-26 for all Tier 1 and 2 projects.
Tier 3 projects (projects with 11 to 25 analysts)
- Tier 3 projects will be charged half the 2022-23 annual charge of $10,000 ($5,000 excluding GST) for 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023, with prices increasing from 1 January 2024.
- From 1 January 2024, Tier 3 projects will be subject to a new charge rate.
- Tier 3 projects will be charged half the new 2023-24 annual charge of $30,000 ($15,000 excluding GST) for 1 January 2024 to 30 June 2024.
- The delayed roll out of the new charging model provides project leads the opportunity to decrease usage or close their project before prices increase.
Tier 4 projects (projects with over 25 analysts)
- Tier 4 projects will be charged custom pricing from 1 July 2023 under the new pricing model.
| Annual charge (per project) | Excluding GST |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 - 1 to 5 analysts | $2,000 |
| Tier 2 - 6 to 10 analysts | $4,000 |
| Tier 3 - 11 to 25 analysts | $5,000 - 1 Jul 2023 to 31 Dec 2023 $15,000 - 1 Jan 2024 to 30 Jun 2024 |
| Tier 4 - Over 25 analysts | Custom |
Annual charges for new projects
New projects are projects established after 1 July 2023.
| Annual charge (per project) | Excluding GST |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 - 1 to 5 analysts | $5,000 |
| Tier 2 - 6 to 10 analysts | $12,000 |
| Tier 3 - 11 to 25 analysts | $30,000 |
| Tier 4 - Over 25 analysts | Custom |
University projects
For projects and data services covered by the current ABS/Universities Australia Agreement, students, staff and researchers are not individually invoiced for their use of the charged ABS data services.
For more information refer to the ABS/Universities Australia Agreement.
New projects may progress their access requests outside of the ABS/Universities Australia Agreement, and will be subject to access fees and charges as outlined on the DataLab page.
ABS International Merchandise Trade (IMT) statistics charges
ABS International Merchandise Trade (IMT) statistics are subject to additional disclosure controls and consistency checks with published ABS data when releasing IMT data from the DataLab. These additional activities incur additional costs. From 2024-25 projects requiring access to IMT data are subject to the following charges:
- $500 (GST exclusive) – per project requesting access to merchandise imports or exports data.
- $250 (GST exclusive) – per IMT output request submitted.
Additional non-standard access and service charges
Non-standard charges apply to all projects for services that are not within the scope of the annual charge. Non-standard charges include access to SAS, Databricks, non-standard virtual machines and storage above one terabyte. Non-standard charges also apply to increased service levels, such as priority clearance and high service level. More information on non-standard access and services are in the tables below.
| Annual charges per project | Excluding GST |
|---|---|
| Use of SAS (per user) | $500 |
Each additional terabyte of storage (One terabyte of storage is included in the annual charge.) | $850
|
| Quarterly charges per project |
|---|
Standard virtual machines are included in the annual charge and comprise machines up to and including the large size. Non-standard virtual machines are charged quarterly. Please refer to virtual machines for further information on size. |
| Please refer to Databricks for more information on this service. |
| Annual charges per project | Excluding GST |
|---|---|
High output demand - Tier 1 High output demand - Tier 2 A high output demand charge applies to projects that require a higher level of service, including high volumes, faster turnaround or the application of special rules. This charge will be applied when the project team requests this higher level of service, or when the ABS determines that a project is requiring resources exceeding cost recovery of the annual charge. High output demand charges are structured into two separate tiers. Tier 1 applies to projects with output requests that:
Tier 2 applies to projects with output requests that:
| $19,000 (Tier 1) $41,000 (Tier 2) |
High service level A high service level charge applies to projects that require resources exceeding the cost recovery of the annual fee. This charge will be applied when the project team requests this higher level of service, or when the ABS determines that a project is requiring resources exceeding cost recovery of the annual charge. The following will be a factor in considering the application of the high service level charge:
| $20,000 |