Customer profiles, census data, and economic forecasts are examples of external data.

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Library Subscription Resources

• Data Planet Statistical Datasets This link opens in a new window

  Provides access to statistical data produced by U.S. Federal agencies, States, private organizations, and major intergovernmental organizations. There are up to 2 billion charts, maps, views, rankings, time series and tables available for use in the Data-Planet repository.

• Statista This link opens in a new window

  Statista provides statistical data on many topics including media, business, politics, society, technology and education. Sources include market reports, trade publications, scientific journals, and government databases. Data can be accessed by searching or browsing by industry, topic, country, digital market or infographic. The Global Consumer Survey offers a global perspective on consumption and media usage, covering the offline and online world of the consumer. It is designed to help marketers, planners and product managers understand consumer behavior and consumer interactions with brands.

• OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window

  OECD iLibrary is the online publications portal of the 36-country Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/list-oecd-member-countries.htm). OECD iLibrary is OECD's Online Library for Books, Papers and Statistics and the gateway to OECD's analysis and data. It replaces SourceOECD, and hosts all content so users can find - and cite - tables and databases as easily as articles or chapters.

  Coverage: OECD Books, Papers and Statistics, International Energy Agency (IEA) Statistical Databases, & International Trade by Commodity Statistics

• Statistical Insight This link opens in a new window

  Search statistical publications from US and state government agencies, international intergovernmental organizations, professional and trade organizations, business organizations, commercial publishers, independent research organizations, and universities.

• Regional Economic Data Toolkit This link opens in a new window

  Created by the Council for Community and Economic Research, this database includes the following: Cost of Living Index, State Business Incentives Database, State Economic Development Program Expenditures Database, and Diversity Index.

• eCommerceDB by Statista

  Data and statistics on online stores and markets from around the world. Includes revenue analytics, competitor analysis, market development, marketing budget, and other key performance indicators (KPIs) such as traffic, shipping providers, mobile app analytics, and more.

Online Resources

• World Bank

  The data and research section contains research, statistics and information on future prospects.

• Bureau of Economic Analysis

  BEA's national, regional, and international economic accounts present basic information on such key issues as U.S. economic growth, regional economic development, and the Nation's position in the world economy. Access to their statistics and the data used to derive the statistics comes in multiple forms, from static tables to downloadable data files for statistical analysis.
  --The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) makes its Gross State Product, Regional Economic Information System (REIS), and foreign direct investment data available on its Web site. You can also use this site to access BEA's national income account data and its publication of record, the Survey of Current Business.

• Bureau of Labor Statistics - Economy at a Glance

  Bureau of Labor Statistics provides current data and graphs on labor force, employment, unemployment, hours, earnings, productivity, consumer and producer price indexes.

• World Wealth and Income Database

  Find data on the historical evolution of the world distribution of income and wealth, both within countries and between countries. It provides a range of top income shares or structure of aggregate national wealth and national income or series on aggregate national income.

• World Economic Outlook Database

  The WEO database from the International Monetary Fund is created during the biannual World Economic Outlook (WEO) exercise, which begins in January and June of each year and results in the WEO publication, which is released in May and October. Selected series that are available in the publication are now available on this website at the time of the release of the WEO press version (late April and September). If necessary, these figures will be revised in order to maintain consistency with the published World Economic Outlook. NOTE: GDP and GDP per capita for all countries in current prices from 1970 (where data available) can be viewed from here.

• UNdata

  This database provides international statistics on all major social and economic subjects.

• IFS Online

  IFS (International Financial Statistics) Online provides statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance from 1948-. It reports, for most countries of the world, current data needed in the analysis of problems of international payments and of inflation and deflation, i.e., data on exchange rates, international liquidity, international banking, money and banking, interest rates, prices, production, international transactions, government accounts, and national accounts.

• FRED - Federal Reserve Economic Data

  This site offers a wealth of economic data and information, including daily U.S. interest rates, monetary and business indicators, exchange rates, balance of payments regional economic data, and more. The widely used database FRED is updated regularly and allows 24/7 access to regional and national financial and economic data.

• ECONData

  This Web site is a starting point for locating guides to regional economic activity. It provides 1,000 links to socioeconomic data sources, arranged by subject and provider and pointers to the Web's best data collections.

• Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) This link opens in a new window

  Search and find social science datasets, both publicly and privately collected and published. This includes data sets for US and other countries that cover demographics and census, opinion polls, urban studies, education, economics, geography, legal systems, governments and elections, political behavior and attitudes, health care and other social indicators.

• IPUMS

  IPUMS provides census & survey data from around the world. Includes: USA; Current Population Survey (CPS); International; Global Health; NHGIS; IHGIS; Time Use; Health Surveys; & Higher Ed.

Macroeconomic Data Sources

Macroeconomic Data Sources

• World Bank Open Data

  Central reference point for tables and maps made available on the Internet by the World Bank. Also includes information on methods, modelling tools and technical assistance for users of World Bank statistics.

• UNdata

  This database provides international statistics on all major social and economic subjects.

• IMF Data Mapper - International Monetary Fund

  1980-present with some projections. Data access via maps with exportable tables.

• IFS Online

  IFS (International Financial Statistics) Online provides statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance from 1948-. It reports, for most countries of the world, current data needed in the analysis of problems of international payments and of inflation and deflation, i.e., data on exchange rates, international liquidity, international banking, money and banking, interest rates, prices, production, international transactions, government accounts, and national accounts.

• UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

  UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly in the field of trade and development. UNCTAD works within the United Nations for the integrated treatment of development and interrelated issues in the areas of trade, finance, technology, investment and sustainable development.

• UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database

  UN Comtrade is the largest and most detailed database of international trade data available. It supports research into bilateral trade of individual commodities (e.g. trade of wool between Uraguay and the USA). Commodities are classified according to SITC), the Harmonized System (HS), and Broad Economic Categories (BEC). Data are available annually and monthly from 1962-present.

• Penn World Tables

  Penn World Tables provide a number of variations on measures of GDP, PPP and capital stock for 182 countries from 1950-2014.

• Eurostat

  The Eurostat website contains a mix of statistical information in PDF pages, pre-defined tables and interactive databases. The coverage varies by topic, but some data goes back at least to 1929. All content is freely available.

Trade Resources

Trade Resources

• UN Commodity Trade Statistics Database

  UN Comtrade is the largest and most detailed database of international trade data available. It supports research into bilateral trade of individual commodities (e.g. trade of wool between Uraguay and the USA). Commodities are classified according to SITC), the Harmonized System (HS), and Broad Economic Categories (BEC). Data are available annually and monthly from 1962-present.

• WITS: World Integrated Trade Solution

  There is UN Comtrade data here. However, you have to get the data for one at a time and one trade flow at a time. For twenty years of data of imports and exports, that will be 40 separate downloads. In order to create custom queries, you can register for a free account. There should be no charge for the Comtrade data.

• OECD iLibrary International Trade by Commodities Statistics

  OECD iLibrary International Trade by Commodities Statistics provides trade statistics for 36 OECD member reporter countries crossed with much larger list of partner countries/entities. Harmonized system allows refining on several parameters: reporter countries partner countries, commodities, measure, flow, time. Related interactive statistical databases available under OECD.Stat cross-database query. See Getting Started -- User Guide for OECD iLibrary for help using OECD iLibrary.

Agricultural Trade Databases

• FAOSTAT

  FAOSTAT, from the Food and Agriculture Organization, contains over 1 million time-series records covering international statistics in the following areas: Production, Trade, Food Balance Sheets, Fertilizer and Pesticides, Land Use and Irrigation, Forest Products, Fishery Products, Population, Agricultural Machinery and Food Aid Shipments from 1961 to the present.

• USDA Trade Data

  The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) offers several different databases for data on international agricultural trade. These databases are maintained by FAS and other U.S. government agencies. Coverage varies widely and some statistics can be found in print publications back to the 1920s or even earlier.

• USDA Production, Supply and Distribution Database

  Includes data on agricultural production and consumption for countries around the world. 1960-present.

Employment, Unemployment & Wages

International Employment, Unemployment, and Wages

• UNIDO Statistics Data Portal

  Find statistics of overall industrial growth for countries complied by the United Nations. Find detailed data on business structure and statistics on major indicators of industrial performance by country in the historical time series.

  The variables in the INDSTAT databases are: number of establishments, number of employees, wages and salaries, output, value added, gross fixed capital formation, number of female employees.

  The 4-digit level is the most detailed, 2-digit less detailed. Further information and descriptions available here.

• OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window

  OECD iLibrary is the online publications portal of the 36-country Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/list-oecd-member-countries.htm). OECD iLibrary is OECD's Online Library for Books, Papers and Statistics and the gateway to OECD's analysis and data. It replaces SourceOECD, and hosts all content so users can find - and cite - tables and databases as easily as articles or chapters.

  Coverage: OECD Books, Papers and Statistics, International Energy Agency (IEA) Statistical Databases, & International Trade by Commodity Statistics

• OECD iLibrary Structural Analysis (STAN) Databases for Industry Analysis

  The STAN Database for Structural Analysis (ISIC Rev. 3) or (ISIC Rev. 4) - have statistics on industry production/output, labor costs, employment rates, hours worked and wages. Overall time range is 1970-present with a two-year lag.

  "STAN Indicators" has labor productivity indexes and labor cost indexes. Overall time range is 1970-present with a two-year lag.

  The image below shows how to navigate to the STAN datasets within the OECD iLibrary interface:

• ILOSTAT

  ILOSTAT is a statistics database maintained by the International Labor Organization (previously LABORSTA). The ILOSTAT database contains over 100 indicators covering more than 230 countries and economies. Indicators include labor population, employment, unemployment, salaries, labor costs, strikes, and occupational injuries. It relies heavily on official data submission from national authorities.

• IMF Data Mapper - International Monetary Fund

  1980-present with some projections. Data access via maps with exportable tables.

Industrial Statistics in print

The database contains seven principle indicators of industrial statistics. They are: number of establishments, number of employees, wages and salaries, output, value added, gross fixed capital formation, and number of female employees. The 4-digit level is the most detailed, with 3-digit and 2-digit getting progressively more general. Check the coverage of each country by year by clicking on the "Availability" link at the very bottom of the page:

Industrial statistics database 3- and 4-digit level of ISIC code 

Industrial statistics database. 2-digit level of ISIC code 

Commodity Prices

Commodity Prices

• UNCTAD - United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

  UNCTAD is the principal organ of the United Nations General Assembly in the field of trade and development. UNCTAD works within the United Nations for the integrated treatment of development and interrelated issues in the areas of trade, finance, technology, investment and sustainable development.

• US Geological Survey's Minerals Information

  International data on minerals including prices, employment, wages and major employers.

• Statistical Insight

  Search statistical publications from US and state government agencies, international intergovernmental organizations, professional and trade organizations, business organizations, commercial publishers, independent research organizations, and universities.

Production/Consumption

Production and/or Consumption

• IMF Data Mapper - International Monetary Fund

  1980-present with some projections. Data access via maps with exportable tables.

• Statistical Insight

  Search statistical publications from US and state government agencies, international intergovernmental organizations, professional and trade organizations, business organizations, commercial publishers, independent research organizations, and universities.

Tariffs

Tariffs

• World Trade Organization Tariff Download Facility

  Simpler of the two WTO Tariff databases. Good for tariffs as reported by countries other than the US. The User Guide is very helpful for understanding data provided. 1996-present.

• World Trade Organization Tariff Analysis Online

  Good for tariffs as reported by countries other than the US. The site provides explanations of jargon as well as instructions for use. 1996-present.

• USITC Interactive Tariff and Trade DataWeb

  Requires free registration for each user.

  Direct access to trade data, not tariff information (despite the name). Use "Quick Query". Make sure to look at the definitions for the values provided. Consider using the SITC classification system since it's also used in UNComtrade. Tariffs reported by the US (e.g. US tariffs on other countries and what the US reports was charged on US products exported). 1989-present.

• World Trade Organization Statistics Database

  The World Trade Organization Statistics Database allows you to retrieve statistical information from 1948- in the following ways:
  -The Trade Profiles section provides predefined information leaflets on the trade situation of members, observers and other selected economies;
  -The Tariff Profiles provide information on the market access situation of members, observers and other selected economies.
  -The Time Series section allows an interactive data retrieval of trade statistics. Available data sets include merchandise trade by commodity group from 1980- for individual countries.

US Census Data

US Census Data

• IPUMS

  IPUMS provides census & survey data from around the world. Includes: USA; Current Population Survey (CPS); International; Global Health; NHGIS; IHGIS; Time Use; Health Surveys; & Higher Ed.

  The IPUMS project is a collaboration of the Minnesota Population Center, National Statistical Offices, and international data archives. Major funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional support is provided by the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research and the Minnesota Population Center.

  Minnesota Population Center datasets are available to researchers who complete an online registration form and agree to use the data responsibility.

• Social Explorer This link opens in a new window

  Offers the ability to create customized maps and reports of demographic, housing, and employment patterns throughout the United States using data from the U.S. Census Bureau.

• UMN Libraries' US Census Info Site

  This page provides additional information about accessing Census data through the Libraries.

Foreign Direct Investment

Public Opinion Resources

Public Opinion Resources

• iPoll (Roper Center for Public Opinion Research)

  iPOLL is a collection of polling sources from the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. It includes surveys from 150 polling organizations that include all major news outlets, Gallup polls, and other research institutions. Use these polls to compare public opinion from 1935-present on a range of issues.

• Polling the Nations

  Polling the Nations is an online database of public opinion polls containing the full text of 700,000+ questions and responses, from 18,000+ surveys and 1,700+ polling organizations, conducted from 1986 through the present in the United States and more than 100 other countries around the world. Limited to 4 simultaneous users.

• Pew Research Center

  Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Find in-depth reports and polls; create a free account to download survey data.

• PollingReport.com

  An independent, nonpartisan resource on American public opinion covering politics, elections, current events, national security and other issues. Collects numerous polls from major news organizations.

• Gallup Analytics

  Gallup Analytics provides trends in public opinion polling, using Gallup US Daily Poll questions and Gallup World Poll questions . Output formats include tables for time-series trends, charts and scatterplots, and maps for individual poll question responses. Questions in the World Poll vary by year and country. Gallup has a tool for identifying questions and when they were asked in a country. The subscription to Gallup Analytics includes mediated access to Gallup poll data for the US Daily Poll and World Poll. Contact library staff at for more information.