Research Guides: Economics: Data Sources

Data sets tutorial

New to data sets? Curious what kind of data you can expect to find?

Click through this quick tutorial to learn more about what data sets are, who creates them, and how to find more

See more about resources tips and dataset considerations in the Finding Data Sets handout.

Data Sources

IBISWorld
Find extensive market analysis reports for industries great and small.
Mintel
Mintel reports analyze market sizes and trends, market segmentation, and consumer attitudes and purchasing habits, as well as assessing the future of the market. Important note:The Mintel resource requires you to create your own individual log-in. You may need to create a log-in for yourself before your first use. The log-in does not need to be your SMC email, but of course can be. Continue to use that log-in each time you use the resource.
Passport
From Euromonitor, this source features news and analysis on various product, service, and supply industries. Includes detailed consumer data for the US and 205 other countries.
NOTE: This resource works best with the Chrome browser. Some scrolling capabilties are broken in other browsers.
Sage Data
For consumer data, detailed data-- such as consumer behavior, consumer expenditures, and media use-- is available from the EASI Market Planner. (access under "Browse by Subject" - "EASI Analytics")
Statista
Statistical data and visual analysis on a broad range of topics

Sage Data
Raw statistical data sets
Statista
Statistical data and visual analysis on a broad range of topics
Statistical Abstract of the U.S.
Authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States
Historical Statistics of the United States
Database version of a five-volume reference source for quantitative facts of American history

Federal Statistical Sources

Data.gov
The single gateway to all US Governement's open data

Some of the most popularly searched individual government agencies include

US Bureau of the Census- includes information on the Census Bureau as well as parts of their publications, including graphs and statistics from their many demographic surveys. This includes Latest Economic Indicator, the latest Population Estimates, and Current Industrial Reports. See also our subscription to Statistical Abstract of the United States and Historical statistics of the United States.
Bureau of Economic Analysis- A great source for U.S. economic data
Bureau of Labor Statistics- This site has connections to many of the Bureau’s databases of labor statistics compiled by the Federal Government. Includes current and historical consumer price indexes.

State Statistical Sources

Some other useful links directly to state and local statistics include

California Economic Statistics and Indicators- This site has county profiles and economic indicators (from the state's Department of Finance)
Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG)- Projections, highlighting statistics for San Francisco Bay Area cities and counties is published every other year; the most recent report is not available online.

World Bank Data, includes World Development Indicators.

International Monetary Fund (IMF) Data and Statistics, includes World Economic Outlook, Global Financial Stability Report, and Fiscal Monitor.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Economics Department, includes "Economic outlook, analysis, and forecasts," and "Economic surveys and country surveillance."

Also, don't forget Euromonitor's Passport database is very useful in this area!

Searching Google

Sometimes Google is still your best bet for finding data. Optimize your Google searches with these quick tips.

Use a colon to search specific sites or domains.

site:gov

Limiting to government websites helps to narrow to the more recognized and authoritative federal and state data sets.

site:worldbank.org (or other specific website)

Know the respected or otherwise recognized authority in a subjects area and limit your searches to their site specifically. For instance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (noaa.gov) is the authoritative source in the US on climate data.

Use the advanced search.

The advanced search options include filetype (.xls or .csv for data), last updated dates, and more.

And know that some things are not free.

For example, Nielsen ratings are authoritative television statistics, but they are proprietary.