Economics: Statistics and Data-International Databases

Licensing agreements may limit use of some databases. For a complete list of databases available to the Boston University community, see:
http://www.bu.edu/library/research/indexes.html

Britannica Online [About]

Business Source Complete [ About ]
see Country Reports in right margin

China Data Center [About]

Conference Board Research Online Collection [About]

EIU - Economist Intelligence Unit [About] (works only with Firefox)

Global Development Finance (GDF) [About] Works Best with Firefox

International Financial Statistics - International Monetary Fund [About]

OECD Factbook

SourceOECD [ About ]

Statistical Universe [About]

World Development Indicators (WDI) [About] Works Best with Firefox

Web sites

Asian Development Bank's Statistical Database System
http://www.adb.org/Statistics/sdbs.asp
Developed and maintained by ADB’s Economics and Research Department, contains data from 1988 onwards.  A major resource and analytical tool for policymakers, academics, researchers and journalists interested in issues and challenges facing Asia and the Pacific.

Country Business Bibliographies

http://www.bu.edu/library/guides/countries/
Provides in-depth economic and business information for specific countries.

CIA Central Intelligence Agency Fact Book
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
Country overviews including basic economic data and sources.

Country Commercial Guides
http://www.buyusainfo.net
Prepared annually by U.S. embassies with the assistance of several U.S. agencies. Reports present a comprehensive look at countries' commercial environments, using economic, political and market analysis.

Economic Time Series from Economagic
http://www.economagic.com/
Economic time series from the U.S. (Federal Reserve Banks, Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Dept. of Commerce), as well as the Bank of Japan, the Bank of Canada, and the Central Bank of Europe. Data can be charted with comparisons. Stock price indexes include the Dow Jones industrial, transportation and utility averages from 1982- current year; S&P 500 and 100; and the Bridge Commodity Research Bureau (CRB) index.

European Statistics via Europa
http://europa.eu/geninfo/info/guide/index_en.htm#stat
Provides links to a number of European Union statistical resources, including Eurostat and several topic-specific statistics.

FDI.net [About]
A free World Bank Resource that provides country analysis and information on all things related to foreign direct investment in 175 countries.

Governments on the WWW
http://www.gksoft.com/govt
Look for government agencies that may collect statistical data for your country of interest and topic.

International Economic Trends
http://research.stlouisfed.org/publications/iet
Provides information on output and growth, inflation and prices, labor markets, foreign exchange reserves, exchange rates, etc.

The International Economics Study Center
http://www.internationalecon.com
Useful for students and professionals interested in keeping up-to-date on international and economic issues.

International Trade Administration
http://www.ita.doc.gov/
More information from the Bureau of the Census about international trade.

Macroeconomic Time Series Data Source Locator
http://busecon.lib.uchicago.edu/
Provides a list of macroeconomic data sources available at the University of Chicago categorized by year, geographic location and subject. Types of sources include books, journals, yearbooks, CD-ROMs and Internet resources.

Office of the U.S. Trade Representative
http://www.ustr.gov/
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Provides information from embassies and other government departments.

UNData
http://data.un.org/
Official statistics produced by countries and compiled by the UN data system, as well as estimates and projections. Areas of coverage include agriculture, education, energy, industry, labour, national accounts, population and tourism. Also includes indicators such as Millennium Development Goals.

The United Nations
http://www.un.org
"The purposes of the United Nations, as set forth in the Charter, are to maintain international peace and security; to develop friendly relations among nations; to cooperate in solving international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems and in promoting respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms; and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining these ends."

United Nations Common Database (UNCD)
http://unstats.un.org/unsd/cdb/cdb_help/cdb_quick_start.asp
Statistical time series for countries from around the world covering a wide range of economic and socio-demographic topics. Descriptions of the international sources and definitions used in compiling the data are included.   (In the past, there was a subscription fee to use this database.  In May 2007, UN stopped charging for this database).

United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Statistics
http://unescap.org/stat/data/index.asp
Provides links to several statistical databases for Asia and the Pacific including:  Annual Core Indicators, Short Term Indicators for Asia and the Pacific, Statistical Indicators for Asia and the Pacific, and Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific.

United Nations National Accounts Main Aggregates Database

http://unstats.un.org/unsd/snaama/introduction.asp
Product of global cooperation effort between the UN Statistics Division, international statistical agencies and the national statistical services of more than 200 countries. Contains complete and consistent set of time series from 1970 onwards of main national accounts aggregates for all UN Members States and all other countries and areas in the world.

United States Bureau of the Census/Foreign Trade Statistics
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/
Contains detailed export and import statistics as well as helpful FAQs.

United States. Dept. of Agriculture. Foreign Agricultural Services
http://www.fas.usda.gov/
The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) works to improve foreign market access for U.S. products. FAS operates programs designed to build new markets and improve the competitive position of U.S. agriculture in the global marketplace.

United States Dept. of State. Bureau of Economic, Energy and Business Affairs
http://www.state.gov/e/eeb/
Formulates and carries out U.S. foreign economic policy. The Bureau advances U.S. positions in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Trade Organization (WTO).

United States Department of the Interior. United States Geological Survey. Minerals Yearbook
http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/myb.html
The Minerals Yearbook is an annual publication that reviews the mineral and material industries of the United States and foreign countries. The Yearbook contains statistical data on materials and minerals and includes information on economic and technical trends and development. The Minerals Yearbook includes chapters on approximately 90 commodities and over 175 countries.

United States Department of the Treasury
http://www.ustreas.gov
U.S. Treasury manages federal finances. Advises on domestic and international financial, monetary, economic, trade and tax policy.

Web Resources for International Economics and Business
http://www.helsinki.fi/WebEc/framef.html
Provides information on international trade, finance, business and law.

World Bank
http://www.worldbank.org
World Bank is one of the world's largest sources of development assistance.  It works in more than 100 developing economies with the primary focus of helping the poorest people and the poorest countries.  Also see World Development Reports.

Print Sources

Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook (BOPSY). International Monetary Fund.
Pardee Reference X HF1014 .I5
Issued in three parts, this annual publication contains balance of payments and international investment position data. Part 1 provides detailed tables on balance of payments statistics for approximately 166 countries and international investment position data for 71 countries. Part 2 presentstables of regional and world totals of major balance of payments components. Part 3 contains descriptions of methodologies, compilation practices, and data sources used by reporting countries.

Demographic Yearbook/Annuaire Demographique
Mugar Reference X HA17 .F49
Pardee Reference X HA17 .F49
Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office, United Nations offers basic demographic data.  Much of this information is also provided on the United Nations website.  As of this writing, 2004 is the most recent data.  They also provide the full pdf of the 2003 edition (800+ pages).

Europa World Year Book
Mugar Reference X D2 F59
Pardee Reference X D2 F59 (Kept at Reference Desk)
Current overview of countries including information sources. Arranged by country.

Statesman's Yearbook
Mugar Reference X JA51 E64
Pardee Reference X JA51 E64 (Kept at Reference Desk)
A statistical, political and economic account of the states of the world for the year. Arranged by country.

Statistical Yearbook/Annuaire Statistique
Mugar Reference X HA42 .F49
Country demographic statistics compiled by the United Nations.

World Almanac and Book of Facts
Mugar Reference X AY67 .E68
Pardee Reference X AY67 .E68
General data source.

 
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