diff --git a/searx/data/__init__.py b/searx/data/__init__.py
index 28a3974fa..48455ebe3 100644
--- a/searx/data/__init__.py
+++ b/searx/data/__init__.py
@@ -5,28 +5,68 @@
 
 """
 
-__all__ = [
-    'ENGINE_TRAITS',
-    'CURRENCIES',
-    'USER_AGENTS',
-    'EXTERNAL_URLS',
-    'WIKIDATA_UNITS',
-    'EXTERNAL_BANGS',
-    'OSM_KEYS_TAGS',
-    'ENGINE_DESCRIPTIONS',
-    'LOCALES',
-    'ahmia_blacklist_loader',
-]
+
+__all__ = ["ahmia_blacklist_loader"]
 
 import json
 from pathlib import Path
+import typing
+
+from searx import logger
+
+log = logger.getChild("data")
 
 data_dir = Path(__file__).parent
 
+CURRENCIES: dict[str, typing.Any]
+USER_AGENTS: dict[str, typing.Any]
+EXTERNAL_URLS: dict[str, typing.Any]
+WIKIDATA_UNITS: dict[str, typing.Any]
+EXTERNAL_BANGS: dict[str, typing.Any]
+OSM_KEYS_TAGS: dict[str, typing.Any]
+ENGINE_DESCRIPTIONS: dict[str, typing.Any]
+ENGINE_TRAITS: dict[str, typing.Any]
+LOCALES: dict[str, typing.Any]
 
-def _load(filename):
-    with open(data_dir / filename, encoding='utf-8') as f:
-        return json.load(f)
+lazy_globals = {
+    "CURRENCIES": None,
+    "USER_AGENTS": None,
+    "EXTERNAL_URLS": None,
+    "WIKIDATA_UNITS": None,
+    "EXTERNAL_BANGS": None,
+    "OSM_KEYS_TAGS": None,
+    "ENGINE_DESCRIPTIONS": None,
+    "ENGINE_TRAITS": None,
+    "LOCALES": None,
+}
+
+data_json_files = {
+    "CURRENCIES": "currencies.json",
+    "USER_AGENTS": "useragents.json",
+    "EXTERNAL_URLS": "external_urls.json",
+    "WIKIDATA_UNITS": "wikidata_units.json",
+    "EXTERNAL_BANGS": "external_bangs.json",
+    "OSM_KEYS_TAGS": "osm_keys_tags.json",
+    "ENGINE_DESCRIPTIONS": "engine_descriptions.json",
+    "ENGINE_TRAITS": "engine_traits.json",
+    "LOCALES": "locales.json",
+}
+
+
+def __getattr__(name):
+    # lazy init of the global objects
+    if name not in lazy_globals:
+        raise AttributeError(f"module {__name__!r} has no attribute {name!r}")
+
+    data = lazy_globals[name]
+    if data is not None:
+        return data
+
+    log.debug("init searx.data.%s", name)
+    with open(data_dir / data_json_files[name], encoding='utf-8') as f:
+        lazy_globals[name] = json.load(f)
+
+    return lazy_globals[name]
 
 
 def ahmia_blacklist_loader():
@@ -40,14 +80,3 @@ def ahmia_blacklist_loader():
     """
     with open(data_dir / 'ahmia_blacklist.txt', encoding='utf-8') as f:
         return f.read().split()
-
-
-CURRENCIES = _load('currencies.json')
-USER_AGENTS = _load('useragents.json')
-EXTERNAL_URLS = _load('external_urls.json')
-WIKIDATA_UNITS = _load('wikidata_units.json')
-EXTERNAL_BANGS = _load('external_bangs.json')
-OSM_KEYS_TAGS = _load('osm_keys_tags.json')
-ENGINE_DESCRIPTIONS = _load('engine_descriptions.json')
-ENGINE_TRAITS = _load('engine_traits.json')
-LOCALES = _load('locales.json')