Data · Source quality index

Source quality index

A published score for each official list in our register. It shows how complete the records are, how well they identify people and companies, how recently the list was loaded and whether each record names its source. The method, the weights and the per-field evidence are published with the scores, so you can check any figure yourself.

Why list quality matters

A screening result is only as good as the list behind it. Thin records cause false positives: a common name with no date of birth, nationality or identifier matches many people, and each alert takes a reviewer's time to clear. Missing details cause false negatives: a transliterated name, an alias or an identifier that a list never recorded can let a true match pass unseen. Both problems start in the source data, so we measure the source before we match against it.

A high score means a list is complete, traceable and recently loaded. It does not mean a list covers every relevant person or company, and it does not replace your own risk assessment.

The index

How this compares

Castellum.AI, a screening provider, publishes a Global Sanctions Index that rates national sanctions lists on 20 criteria in three groups: data integrity, data delivery and guidance. The idea of a public index is sound. We think it can be more transparent, so ours differs in four ways:

• Evidence for every field. Each source shows the share of its records that carry each field, and the record count behind it, not only an overall score.
• Method in the same file. The weights and definitions are published with the scores in one downloadable file.
• Size and age beside the score. Records and days since load appear next to each score, so a score can be read against the size and age of the data.
• Scope stated plainly. The index rates the sources in our register. It does not yet score every national list in the world.

Last updated 2026-10-10