Contents

• Where to Start
  
• U.S. Government Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations
• International Data
• Guides to Finding Data (search across multiple sites)
  
• Librarian

When You Don't Know Where to Start

Take cues from the literature you already have for possible data sources. Early on, search the following resources, which will either lead you directly to data or will give you vital information about who collects the type of data you need.

Statistical Abstract of the United States
This compendium of statistics produced by the U.S. government contains basic tables summarizing the vast amount of data collected by the government. Find a table here that is related to your topic and follow the cited source to identify which agency collects the data you need. Also available in print in the Ready Reference collection at C 3.134: 2007.

Lexis-Nexis Statistical
Search summaries of statistical publications, then link to the full-text of selected publications on Statistical Universe and government Web sites. This comprehensive database includes the three major statistical indexes (American Statistics Index, Statistical Reference Index, and Index to International Statistics).

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U.S. Government Agencies and Nonprofit Organizations

Economic Report of the President
A great first place to look for US macroeconomic data. The print version is easier to browse. It is in the Ready Reference collection, next to the Research/IT Desk. CC Ready Ref PR 43.9.

Economic Indicators
"This publication is prepared by the Council of Economic Advisers to supply monthly updates related to the economic conditions in the United States. Economic Indicators provides statistical data both in tabular and graphic form and includes information on consumer and producer prices, employment, production, and money and banking. Tables typically display 10 years of annual data with the most recent 12 to 15 months broken out in detail."

• Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis version
• Government Printing Office Version 
  

Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA)
The BEA, a part of the Department of Commerce, provides GDP and economic accounts data. It compiles national, state and regional, and international economic data.

• Overview of the U.S. Economy
• GDP - Gross Domestic Product
• US Balance of Payments
• US International Investment Position
• Regional, state, and local area data
• NIPA - National Income & Product Accounts
  Detailed estimates of GDP and its components such as personal consumption expenditure, investment expenditure, government expenditure, net exports. Guide to NIPA
• Other indicators: Real GDP, Implicit price deflators for GDP, Business Output, sources of personal income, corporate profits, business investment
  

Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
The U.S. Department of Labor provides a large amount of data related to employment issues, productivity, and prices on their web site.

• Consumer Price Index (CPI)
  The most widely used measure of inflation. Read more about CPI.
• Producer Price Index (PPI)
  Measures the average change over time in selling prices received by domestic producers of goods and services. Read more about PPI.
• Employment Statistics
• Wages, Earnings & Benefits
  

Census Bureau
The best in the world.

• Indicators: New construction, new private housing and vacancy rates, business sales and inventories, manufacturers' shipments and inventories
• Economic Indicators Overview Page
  
• American Fact-Finder
  The Census's online gateway provides a wonderful starting point for identifying and accessing census data.
• CenStats
  The Census Bureau has gathered their census databases together at this site. It includes links to the individual files with a description, links to documentation, and related useful information. It includes some regional information.
• Economic Census
  This census includes Service Industries who report on kind of business, Federal income tax status, geographic location, taxable operating receipts (revenue for tax-exempt establishments), annual and first quarter payroll, and employment for the pay period including March 12. Establishments receiving a census form provide additional data on operational and organizational status, sources of receipts, business characteristics, and industry specific measures such as exports and the number of hotel accommodations.

Federal Reserve Banks
Financial data such as interest and exchange rates, money stocks and components, debt measures, bank assets and liabilities, official reserves, household assets and liabilities, and corporate debt.

• Indicators: Industrial production and capacity utilization, money stock and debt measures, aggregate reserves and monetary base, bank credit, consumer credit, interest rates and bond yields
  
• FRED - Federal Reserve Economic Data
  From the St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank, a database of 18,725 economic time series.
• Liber8
  Portal to Federal Bank information, aimed at students
• EconDISC - Data and Information Service Center
  Links to the various data distribution services of the Fed

EconData.net
Regional economic data on the web. This site is supported by the Economic Development Administration, the Bureau of the Census, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Lexis-Nexis Congressional
Lexis-Nexis' Congressional Universe provides comprehensive access to U.S. legislative information, including publications, legislative histories, hearings, bills, and much more. Most coverage runs from 1970 to date.

NBER - National Bureau of Economic Research
NBER is a privite nonprofit research organization focusing on economic research. Their goal is to support and disseminate research to decision makers of all kinds, whether public, private or academic. This page on the NBER site lists selected sources for data on the web. These data come from individual researchers as well as government agencies.

STAT-USA
This large database of statistical tables is a little difficult to navigate, but contains information not available elsewhere.

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International Data

Compendia and Collections of International Data

IES (International Economic Statistics) Database
A handy tool from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis that lets you search for international statistics by keyword, country, author, or subject.

Penn World Tables
"...a set of national accounts economic time series covering many countries...."

EarthTrends
Well-documented comparable international statistics from respected sources. I like this site because it is so easy to use, it provides lots of ideas for further places to look, and the documentation is so thorough.

World Bank

World Development Indicators
Statistical data for over 550 development indicators and time series data from 1960-2002 for over 200 countries and 18 country groups. Data includes social, economic, financial, natural resources, and environmental indicators.
For data documentation, see reference book: World Development Indicators, Ref HC 59.15 .W656.

Information by Country
From this page, select a country of interest then select "Data & Statistics" from the upper left menu once you get to the country overview page.

Development Data by Country
Key development data collected by the World Bank and other official sources. Statistics available for countries and also groups of countries.

United Nations

Statistical Yearbook
CC Reference HA12.5 .U63 2005
Like the Statistical Abstract of the United States, this book is a great way to find out what kind of data are collected by the UN and where to find them.

UN Data
Very large database of selected series of country- and area-level data from the UN and other official sources.

United Nations Statistics Division - Unrestricted Access Databases
Find listed and described on this page all unrestricted access databases from the UN, including:

• Demographic Yearbook
• InfoNation
• Millennium Indicators Database
• National Accounts Main Aggregates Database
• Population statistics
• Social Indicators

International Statistics
Listing of all statistics programs of the UN as well as other places to find international statistics.

Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD)

Main Economic Indicators
Carleton does not have access to the online version, but the print is in the library, newest editions in Reference:
CC Ref HA1107 .O68

OECD Factbook 2007
This compendium of statistics collected by the OECD is free on the web. A good way to learn what types of data are collected by this organization and where to find them.

OECD Country Web Sites
Select from member countries and selected non-member countries. Once on the overview page, select "Statistics" from the top navigation.

European Union

European Union Encyclopedia and Directory 2005
CC Reference HC241.2 .E8334
This reference book contains basic country statistics tables, and can help one identify which agencies collect which data, and how those data will be organized on eurostat.

eurostat
Detailed and comparable statistical data at EU level. See also the official web site of the European Union.

International Monetary Fund

IMF Members' Financial Data by Country
Summaries include quota, reserve position, SDR holdings, outstanding credit, recent lending arrangements, projected payments due the IMF, and monthly historical transactions with the Fund.

International Financial Statistics. Yearbook
CC Ref HG 3881 .I627
Library has 1979 to the present. Back issues are shelved in general stacks, second floor.

International Financial Statistics. Monthly
CC Ref HG 3881 .I626
Library has 1948 to the present. Back issues are shelved in general stacks, second floor.

International Financial Statistics Online
Time series data back to 1948. Best used in concert with at least one paper issue for documentation and to understand the numbering system. See Kristin for help using this database.

Balance of Payment Statistics Yearbook
CC Ref HF 1014 .I6
Library has from 1981 to the present. Back issues are shelved in general stacks, second floor.

Government Finance Statistics Yearbook
CC Ref HJ 101 .G68
CC Ref HJ 101 .G682 CD-Rom (March 2006)
Library has from 1980 to the present. Back issues are shelved in general stacks, second floor. The CD-Rom provides time series data from the yearbooks.

Direction of Trade Statistics. Yearbook
CC Reference HF91 .D574
Library has from 1974 to the present. Back issues are shelved in general stacks, second floor.

Directon of Trade Statistics. Quarterly
CC Reference HF91 .D57
Library has from 1994 to the present. Back issues are shelved in general stacks, second floor.

United States Census

International Data Base - Census Bureau
Database for 227 countries plus some useful links.

Development Banks

Asian Development Bank

Inter-American Development Bank

Guides to International Data

International Agencies and Information on the Web
Intergovernmental agencies, foreign governments, statistics, U.S. policy, and more.

Internet Resources for International Economics and Business
Comprehensive coverage of sites divided into 13 categories; hints for further searching often included; the "Research-It" link leads to specialized search engines.

Western European Studies Section
Links to all aspects of this region that were selected by librarian specialists; includes historical sources.

Governments on the WWW
Quick links to national, regional, and international government web pages.

International Organizations

Web Guides to Data

Wall Street Journal - Economic Indicators
The Wall Street Journal web site has an enormous amount of economic and financial data.

• Economic Indicators Statistical Reports
• Economic Indicators Tables 
• Economic Chartbook
  
• Economic Forcast Survey
  

New York Times - Economic Indicators

Data on the Net
From the University of California, San Diego's searchable listing of 850 Internet sites of numeric Social Science statistical data, data catalogs, data libraries, social science gateways, addresses and more.

RFE - Resources for Economists on the Internet
A great place to begin; comprehensive.

WebEc - Data
Many data collection links from this major econ site; arrangement based generally on Journal of Economic Literature categories.

UMichigan's Statistical Resources on the Web
Comprehensive and highly recommended statistics site from the U. of Michigan Libraries-Documents Department. The Comprehensive Economics and the Foreign and International Economics sections are quite useful.

Statistical Data Locators
Global coverage; links to regional IGO sites (very useful), private research databases, official statistical agencies; good for difficult to locate information; coverage for Asia is strongest; maintained by the Library of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. (Start with one of the links at the top - page looks empty at first but don't be fooled).

Eco5.com
Despite the strange name, this web site has excellent links to historical US and international economic data.

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