Library Guides: Development Practice: Web + Statistics

Sources for Data and Statistics

Sage Data This link opens in a new window
Provides easy access to a wide variety of economic, social, political, and marketing indicators. (DataPlanet - Data-Planet - Statistical Datasets)
Offers easy access to over 5,550 data sets from over 65 source providers and 16 subject categories, including banking, criminal justice, education,energy, food and agriculture, government, health, housing and construction,industry and commerce, labor and employment, natural resources and environment, income, cost of living, stocks, transportation, and more. Sources of data include federal, local, state and international governments and organizations. Allows for customization of the data by selecting subjects, and the ability to view your data in side-by-side tables, charts and maps.
Statistical Abstract of the United States (ProQuest) This link opens in a new window
A comprehensive collection of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States, 1878 to present.
The United States Statistical Abstract (aka Stat Ab) is useful both as a convenient source for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information, in print and on the Web (when available). Sources include the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bureau of Economic Analysis, and many other Federal agencies and private organizations. Prior to 2012, the Stat Ab was provided free of charge. In 2012, Congress cancelled funding and ProQuest has continued producing the Stat Ab.
Social Explorer This link opens in a new window
Data and interactive thematic maps from the U.S. Census from 1790-present.
Provides access to current and historical United States census data, including all historic decennial censuses and American Community Surveys, as well as other demographic information, such as religious organizations. Census data is current to 2010 and historical back to 1790. In addition to being a data resource, the web interface lets users create maps and reports to better illustrate, analyze and understand demography and social change.
Statistical Abstracts of the World This link opens in a new window
A collection of the statistical abstracts from many countries. (ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the World)
These statistical abstracts are generally issued by the national statistical offices of foreign governments and contain country-level data not easily found elsewhere. Global and regional statistical compendia issued by international organizations are included.
World Development Indicators (WDI) This link opens in a new window
An extensive collection of data about global development
Provides time series development indicators data (1960-present) for 210 countries. Includes tables for population, labor and employment, education, health, energy, urbanization, national accounts, purchasing power, trade, government finance, monetary, balance of payments, external debt, investment risk, taxes, prices and exchange rates, transport and communication, and information and technology. To access, click "Online Tables" under Formats Available.
OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
Full-text publications and statistical data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Publications and data are open access since July 2024.
OECD publications are also Open Access on the OECD web site under "publications". Statistical data is also available at the new OECD data explorer https://data-explorer.oecd.org/
Full-text publications and statistical data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), including country studies, forecasting publications, reports, and socioeconomic datasets and an interactive Health data database. The statistics section includes data in the areas of international trade, telecommunications, foreign aid, migration, and many other categories. Includes data from 1983 to the present. (source oecd)

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) - Library
Books, reports, working papers and other materials covering all sustainable development themes.
IPUMS
Census and survey data from around the world integrated across time and space. Includes IPUMS International, a large collection of census microdata, plus IPUMS Terra, which integrates data on population and the environment.

FAOSTAT This link opens in a new window
Time-series and cross sectional data relating to food and agriculture for most countries in the world
Provides international time series data on food production, agricultural trade, forest products, and fisheries from the FAO.
UNdata This link opens in a new window
The United Nations's statistical database that includes data published by the UN and its affiliates
"Wide range of economic, social, cultural, and demographic indicators: population, environment, health, economics, technology, trade, refugees, and more. Includes selected (not comprehensive) data from many international organizations, including the UNDP, UNESCO, FAO, WHO, the ILO and more."

World Resources Institute (WRI) - Maps and Data
WRI also produces reports, working papers, and other publications.

Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) This link opens in a new window
ICPSR receives, processes, and distributes data on social phenomena in countries across the world. ICPSR maintains a data archive of on topics in the social and behavioral sciences, including specialized collections in education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields. Includes survey data, census records, election returns, economic data, and legislative records.
Direct download access to data sets requires the creation of a personal account. In addition, analysis of ICPSR data sets requires the use of specialized software. For more information on this process, please consult the ICPSR Get Help page or schedule an appointment with the Library Data Lab.

Data Sources
A multidisciplinary selection of databases containing data and statistics.
Agriculture: Data
Data sources for agriculture and related topics.
Economics: Data
Economics data resources compiled by Jim Church, UCB Librarian for Economics.
Climate Data
List of climate data resources maintained by UCB's Earth Sciences Library.
Health Statistics and Data
National and international data; compiled by UCB Public Health Librarian Michael Sholinbeck
Energy and Resources: Data
Sources for energy and water data.

California Statistical Abstract This link opens in a new window
Compilation of data on social, economic, and physical aspects of the State. The contributor for each table is given at the bottom of the table and may be contacted for more details or an explanation of the data.

Quick Guide (Evaluating Sources)

When you encounter any kind of source, consider:

Authority - Who is the author? What is their point of view?
Purpose - Why was the source created? Who is the intended audience?
Publication & format - Where was it published? In what medium?
Relevance - How is it relevant to your research? What is its scope?
Date of publication - When was it written? Has it been updated?
Documentation - Did they cite their sources? Who did they cite?

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Development Practice: Web + Statistics

Sources for Data and Statistics

Quick Guide (Evaluating Sources)