Data Librarian
Senior Research Data Management Librarian
Generally Useful Sites for Data and Statistics
These sites include microdata on a wide variety of topics. Time and geographic coverage varies widely by dataset.
- ICPSR This link opens in a new windowThe Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) provides a vast archive of social science data for research and instruction. Users may view documentation, download raw data, and search a bibliography of data-related literature. (You must create a personal ICPSR account with your virginia.edu email address in order to download data.)
These sites offer statistics on a wide variety of topics. The time periods vary, but are mostly late 20th century to present. Geographic coverage and geographic units all vary.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowStatista.com consolidates statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources.
- Sage Data This link opens in a new windowSage Data repository contains over 18.9 billion datapoints from over 400 databases sourced from 70 public and private organizations. The datasets contained in Sage Data are structured and homogenized to permit correlation of multiple, diverse indicators. The Sage Data repository continues to grow regularly with the addition of new datasets drawn from public and private sources.
- Our World in DataNice resource for finding international data on all kinds of policy-related topics. Note that you can download the data as a CSV file. Check out the Source tab for information about the data file and the original source of the data. Because they use data from third parties, you might want to check out how to cite OWiD sources correctly.
- PolicyMap This link opens in a new windowPolicyMap is an online data and mapping tool that enables researchers to access data about communities and markets across the United States. Major topics are: Demographics, Incomes & Spending, Housing, Lending, Quality of Life, Economy, Education, Health, Federal Guidelines, Analytics (e.g., market value). There is also the option to upload your own data to map within their system.
- Social Explorer This link opens in a new windowThis online resource provides quick and easy access to current and historical census data. Users can create custom data reports at many geographic levels and download data in a variety of file formats for use with statistical software. Includes: ACS, Decennial Census, Population Estimates (county level, since 2010), Business Patterns, Environmental Summaries, Religion, Crime, Health, Cancer, and some international survey data.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new windowThe Statistical Abstract of the United States provides comprehensive summary of statistics on these major topics: Population, Health, Education, Crime, Environment, Government, Human Services, Labor Force, Income, Prices, Business, Science, Agriculture, Energy, Construction, Manufacturing, Trade, Transportation, Information and Communication, Finance, and Arts. The source notes can be used to find more detailed tables and machine-readable datasets. Online from 2013-present through ProQuest (above link), 1886-2013 online or in print.
United States - Economics and Finance
- Bureau of Economic AnalysisTime period: 1925-present (varies by dataset)
Geographic coverage: mostly US, some international
Geographic unit(s): county, metropolitan area, state, nation
Unit of observation: monthly, quarterly, annual; industry
The BEA provides microeconomic data, along with reports, maps and other publications. Use the Interactive Data to navigate through national, regional, industry and international data in various categories such as GDP, income, employment, saving and investment, fixed assets, input-output, international transactions, and many more. - Bureau of Labor StatisticsGeographic coverage: mostly US, some international comparisons
Geographic unit(s): city, county, metropolitan area, state, division, region, nation
The BLS contains much data on subjects such as inflation & prices, employment, spending & time use, pay & benefits, productivity, and more. See the subject area categories or try the BLS Data Finder. - Congressional Budget OfficeTime period: 1991-ongoing
Geographic coverage: US
Geographic unit(s): nation
Official site for historical economic and budget data and projections, such as 10-year budget projections, 10-year trust fund projections, spending projections, estimates of automatic stabilizers. - FRED Economic DataTime period: mostly 1947 onward, some 1785 onward
Geographic coverage: US and international
Geographic unit(s): MSA, county, state, nation
FRED Economic Data provides time series data in categories such as money, banking & finance (e.g., interest rates, exchange rates, financial indicators, business lending), population, employment & labor markets (e.g., CPS-household survey, employment, income, jobs), national accounts, production & business activity, prices and more. Many microdata can be downloaded to Excel spreadsheets.
- Gallup Analytics This link opens in a new windowTime period: U.S. Dailies: 2008-present; World Poll: 2006-present; Gallup Brain: 1935-present
Geographic coverage: US, 160+ other countries
Geographic unit(s): nation, state, MSA
Unit of observation: statistics
Gallup Analytics offers economic, well-being, and political polling data collected daily in the US since 2008, and the data can be broken down by state or MSA. Gallup also provides the World Poll, which captures economic, social, and well-being data for 160+ countries going back to 2006. Gallup Brain presents historical public opinion polling going back to 1935. Learn more at the Gallup Public Opinion Poll Research Guide. - Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new windowTime period: 1790-2000
Geographic coverage: US
Geographic unit(s): mostly nation
Unit of observation: statistics
This is the standard source for quantitative indicators of American history. HSUS contains time series tables that cover the demographic, economic, social, political, and institutional history of the U.S. Find information of economic structure and performance (e.g., income, product, prices, consumer expenditures, financial markets and institutions) and economic sectors (e.g., agriculture, manufacturing, distribution, and transportation). The tables can be downloaded in Excel. The introductory essays provide guidance on sources and reliability and interpretation.
- IPUMS-CPSTime period: 1962-present
Geographic coverage: US
Geographic unit(s): city, MSA, county, state
Unit of observation: individual, household
IPUMS-CPS is a project dedicated to integrating and disseminating data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a monthly survey, conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the U.S. Census Bureau, which collects socio-demographic information and labor force characteristics. Economic variables include income, housing, subsidy, tax, job and work. For help of using IPUMS-CPS extract system, watch their short tutorial videos. CPS data are also accessible at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
- Mergent Online This link opens in a new windowInformation on over 35,000 current and former publicly traded companies, both from the US and from around the world. Company histories and over 200,000 annual reports in pdf, 30 years of stock prices, etc. Note that data retrieval must be done manually. (There is no programmatic access).
- National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)Time period: varies
Geographic coverage: varies
Geographic unit(s): varies
Unit of observation: varies
The National Bureau of Economic Research data site points to data available from NBER or otherwise associated with the NBER research program. Includes macro data; industry, productivity, and digitization data; international finance and trade data; individual data; healthcare data; demographic and vital statistics; patent and scientific papers data; and "other" data. - National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS)Time period: birth year cohorts 1906-21, 1922-37, 1941-52, 1943-53, 1957-64, 1980-84
Geographic coverage: US
Geographic unit(s): (restricted use geocode data) ZIP code, tract, MSA, county, state
Unit of observation: individual
The National Longitudinal Surveys is a program of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. The surveys contain a wide array of topics, e.g., labor market activity, schooling, fertility, health and more. Find economic information such as employment, income, assets and participation in government assistance programs. - Prices and Wages by DecadeThis is a very useful research guide for where to find historical wage and price data, going back to the 18th Century.
International - Economics and Finance
- China Statistical Yearbooks Database (CSYD) 中国经济社会发展统计数据库 This link opens in a new windowChina Statistical Yearbooks (CSYD) contains all key statistical yearbooks published in mainland China, covering various types of census and survey data including analysis reports, statistical summaries, investment material, and data compilations. Content in CSYD is classified by 18 industries, 40 districts and 6 types of documents, and covers a wide range of economic, social, and environmental topics.
Content is in Chinese, with many headings and tables of contents translated into English.
User introduction video link
- ECRI Lending to Households in EuropeTime period: 1995-2014
Geographic coverage: US and international
Geographic unit(s): country
This dataset contains information on lending to households in the 28 EU Member states, 2 EU candidate states, EFTA countries, as well as United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, Russia, and India. These data include consumer credit, housing and other loans, and allows users to make comparisons between countries. - EurostatGeographic coverage: Europe
Geographic unit(s): city, nation, EU
EuroStat contains databases and statistics of Europe on many themes. Find economic and financial statistics such as national and European sector accounts, government finance, exchange rates, interest rates, consumer prices, PPPs, and balance of payments. - FAOSTATTime period: 1961-present
Geographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): country
Unit of observation: statistics
The FAOSTAT database of the UN Food and Agricultural Organization provides statistics on a variety of domains. Find economic and financial information of food and agriculture such as production, prices, investment, and trade. - FRED Economic DataSee above.
- ILOSTATGeographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): country
Unit of observation: statistics
ILOSTAT is the International Labour Organization’s central statistics database of the labour market, which provides more than 100 indicators covering more than 230 countries. Subjects include population, labour force, (un)employment, working time, earnings & income, occupational injuries, labour inspection, consumer prices, and more. Access other statistics and databases of the ILO. - IMF DataTime period: varies by datasets
Geographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): mostly nation
Unit of observation: aggregated
The IMF publishes a range of economic and financial data across time and countries. Find data on IMF lending, exchange rates and many other economic and financial indicators in their numerous datasets such as World Economy Outlook (WEO), International Financial Statistics (IFS), Balance of Payments Statistics (BOPS), Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS), Government Finance Statistics (GFS), and many more. See subjects that can be found in their online sources.
- International Historical Statistics, 1750-2010 This link opens in a new windowTime period: 1750-2010
Geographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): country
Unit of observation: statistics
IHS is a collection of statistics covering a wide range of socio-economic topics. Find economic and financial information such as agriculture, labour force, finance (e.g., currency, money supply, government expenditure and revenue), prices, industry, and national accounts. Content is divided into three geographical areas: (1) Africa, Asia, Oceania, (2) Americas, and (3) Europe. Tables can be downloaded in Excel format.
- OECD iLibrary StatisticsTime period: 1998-present (varies by dataset, indicator, country)
Geographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): mostly country
Unit of observation: varies by dataset
The OECD iLibrary provides access to international data from various disciplines. Visit OECD Statistics to find economic datasets and indicators for OECD countries. - UNDataTime period: varies
Geographic coverage: International
Geographic unit(s): varies by source
UN Data is a portal for finding data from the UN, OECD, IMF, and more. Databases related to Economics and Finance include: International Financial Statistics, World Bank World Development Indicators, and National Accounts Official Country Data. - UNIDO Industrial StatisticsTime period: 1963-2010
Geographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): nation
Unit of observation: nation, industry (ISIC Rev.3)
The three databases--INDSTAT2, INDSTAT4, and Industrial Demand-Supply Balance Database (IDSB)--contain statistical data on the manufacturing sector of countries based on the International Standard Industrial Classification of all Economic Activities (ISIC) Revision 3. Users must download and install the software on a computer with Microsoft Windows. The software enables users to select and export data across time and countries on the manufacturing sector’s indicators such as number of establishments, employment, wages and salaries, output, value added. - World Bank Open DataGeographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): mostly country
Unit of observation: statistics; household, business establishment, other facility
World Bank Open Data provides free and open access to data in countries around the globe. Find economic and financial relevant indicators and data under topics such as Economy & Growth, External Debt, Financial Sector, Public Sector, and Private Sector. Use the World Bank DataBank to query and download data. - World Inequality DatabaseThe World Inequality Database (WID.world) aims to provide open and convenient access to the most extensive available database on the historical evolution of the world distribution of income and wealth, both within countries and between countries.
- World Values SurveyTime period: 1981-2022, ongoing
Geographic coverage: international
Geographic unit(s): national
The World Values Survey is the "largest non-commercial, cross-national, time series investigation of human beliefs and values." Topics include economic development, democratization, religion, gender equality, social capital, and subjective well-being.