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World Bank Data
Accessibility
Coverage
- All countries
- 1960-present
Notable Content
- The World Bank's primary data set is World Development Indicators (WDI)
- Many other economic topics, including trade, are also covered
- The data is compiled from officially-recognized international sources
Search Tips
- Browsing by indicators gives you a good sense of what's included in the database
- Build a comprehensive search step-by-step
- Some indicators link to external World Bank data sources; use these to explore a topic further
Unique Features
- The Data Catalog lists all available data from the World Bank and allows for bulk downloads
Weaknesses
- It can be hard to navigate because there are so many choices
Download Formats
IMF Data
Accessibility
Coverage
- All countries
- 1900-present
Notable Content
- Monetary statistics, exchange rates, CPI, investment stasistics, balance of payments
Search Tips
- Browse countries, indicators or predefined reports
Unique Features
- Depth and breadth of financial, monetary and investment statistics unavailable elsewhere
- Some data is available monthly, quarterly, and annually
Weaknesses
- Tables load slowly
- Requires a bit of a learning curve, especially for users without finance or economics background
Download Formats
- Excel, PDF, RTF, EMF, PPT, HTML, MHT
UN Comtrade Database
Accessibility
Coverage
- All Countries
- 1962-present
Notable Content
- Disaggregated trade statistics
- UN trade database of record
- Imports, exports, re-imports, re-exports
Search Tips
- Click the Get Data button to get to the search interface
- Users can download up to 50,000 records with the free version
Unique Features
- Commodity level bilateral trade data
- Easy to use
Weaknesses
Download Formats
OECD.Stat
Accessibility
Coverage
- Member countries, or member countries and their trade partners, or all countries; it depends
- 1960-present
Notable Content
- Statistics and data on a variety of economic and development topics including finance, industry, trade, globalisation
Search Tips
- GSU users access via OECD iLibrary then click Statistics → OECD.Stat → DATA
- Browse topics by theme or search
Unique Features
- Industry structural analysis database (STAN)
- Bilateral trade data
Weaknesses
- Mix of free and subscription content is confusing
- Non-member country data not always included
Download Formats
- Excel, CSV, PC-Axis, Developer API, XML
ILO Stat
Accessibility
Coverage
- All countries
- circa 1967-present
Notable Content
- Earnings, hours, (un)employment, injuries, strikes, cost of labor
Search Tips
- Country Profiles provide a basic overview of labor statistics by country
Unique Features
- Includes data on the Informal Sector
- Users can bookmark tables
Weaknesses
- Not all countries collect/report employment data the same way
Download Format
Passport
Accessibility
Coverage
- Covers consumer markets for 27 industries in most countries
- 1997- present
- Forecasts through 2020
Notable Content
- Market sizes, company shares, brand shares, distribution data
Search Tips
- Use the Search Full Tree tool to select Categories and Topics (i.e. industries) and geographies
- Use the Dashboard to create charts, graphs and maps
Unique Features
- Comprehensive global company, brand and market data
Weaknesses
- Only covers 27 industries
- Data available for most, not all countries; hard to predict what's covered
Download Formats