LibGuides: Economics Library Guide: Statistics &amp; Data

A-Z list of selected statistics and data sources

Key:☺Freely available; ▼Available through UCT subscription; $ Not freely available, and not subscribed to by UCT

African Development Bank (AFDB) Data Portal Provides statistical data and indicators relating to African Countries. The Portal provides multiple customized tools to gather indicators, analyze them, and export them into multiple formats.
Africa Development Indicators (World Bank) ☺ADI is the premier data source on the African economy. It contains 1400+ indicators & time series from 1965 for 53 countries. Data include social, economic, financial, natural resources, infrastructure, governance, partnership, & environmental indicators.
Afrobarometer ☺The Afrobarometer is an independent, nonpartisan research project that measures the social, political, and economic atmosphere in Africa. Afrobarometer surveys are conducted in more that a dozen African countries and are repeated on a regular cycle.
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Because the instrument asks a standard set of questions, countries can be systematically compared. Trends in public attitudes are tracked over time. Results are shared with decision makers, policy advocates, civic educators, journalists, researchers, donors and investors, as well as average Africans who wish to become more informed and active citizens.
Balance of Payments and International Investment Position Statistics (BOP/IIP) on IMF eLibrary Data Contains balance of payments and international investment position (IIP) data of individual countries, jurisdictions and other reporting entities and regional and world totals for major components of balance of payment. Balance of payment data are available for over 190 economies and international investment position data are available for over 160 economies.
Bloomberg Bloomberg ended web access to the online Bloomberg terminals at midnight on 30 June 2022. Please book a seat at Business Corner inside Chancellor Oppenheimer Library (Main Library) to access a Bloomberg terminal.
DataFirst ☺DataFirst is a unit at the University of Cape Town, South Africa devoted to survey research in Africa. The unit operates a Research Data Centre and provides basic and advanced training in microdata analysis. DataFirst is also an international web portal for South African census and survey data, as well as survey metadata and all research output based on this data. The DataFirst Survey Data Catalogue enables online keyword searches of the survey data available from DataFirst.
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It also provides information to assist users of the data files (Metadata). Survey microdata and metadata files from public access datasets can be downloaded from this portal.
Datastream A Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters) product, Datastream is a comprehensive economic and financial time series database. See also: Eikon Temporary online access in response to disruptions caused by COVID-19. A login and password are required. Please book an online session to gain access.
Demographic & Health Survey ☺This program has collected, analyzed & disseminated accurate & representative data on population, health, HIV, & nutrition through more than 200 surveys in over 70 countries.

Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS) on IMF eLibrary This link opens in a new window Provides statistics on the value of merchandise exports and imports between each country and all its trading partners, with history to 1980.

Eikon Eikon, a Refinitiv product, is a financial information service, including company data, market data, news, country and economic data, as well as analytics which are displayed in a highly visual way. See also Datastream Temporary online access in response to disruptions caused by COVID-19. A login and password are required. Please book an online session to gain access.
EU KLEMS ☺ A database on measures of economic growth, productivity, employment creation, capital formation and technological change at the industry level for all European Union member states from 1970 onwards.
Eurostat ☺Provides statistics at European level that enable comparisons between countries and regions
FAO GIEWS Food Price Data and Analysis Tool (Global Information Early Warning System) ☺The database includes over 1000 monthly domestic retail and/or wholesale price series of major foods consumed in 82 countries and 11 international cereal export price series, covering a total of 20 different food commodity categories. The Tool allows the analysis of different data series both in nominal and real terms, and for the conversion of quotations from national currencies to US dollars and/or to a common unit of measure (kg or tonnes), as well as comparisons of domestic and international price trends.
FAOSTAT ☺FAOSTAT provides time-series and cross sectional data relating to food and agriculture for some 200 countries.
The GlobalEconomy.com ☺TheGlobalEconomy.com is an open educational resource on the world economy. The website offers interactive tools - including global maps and charts - where users can learn about and compare over 200 countries. All of the charts, maps, and the data can be downloaded for free.
The Global Findex database The world’s most comprehensive data set on how adults save, borrow, make payments, and manage risk.
Global Social Change Research Project Datasets ☺Long term changes in social, economic and political systems
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Goal: Bring together knowledge of our social, political and economic world. Where we are, how we got here, and where we are going. A solid understanding of the world is the first step for improving living conditions of all people throughout the world
Government Finance Statistics (GFS) on IMF eLibrary ▼Provides data on budgetary operations, extra-budgetary operations, social security, and consolidated financial operations of central governments, with history to 1990.
Groningen Growth and Development Centre from University of Groningen ☺This page presents an overview of all available databases on the GGDC website and a short introduction to the contents of each database
Harvard - Center for International Development ☺This page is a depository for data developed through research at the Center for International Development at Harvard University (CID). Often the data are associated with a research paper and, thus, the paper is also available for downloading.
Harvard - MIT Data Center ☺Excellent source for social sciences (including and beyond economics); keyword searchable; Holds the World Value Surveys, among other things
Ibrahim Index of African Governance ☺The Ibrahim Index of African Governance is a new, comprehensive ranking of sub-Saharan African nations according to governance quality. It has been created in recognition of the need for a more comprehensive, objective and quantifiable method of measuring governance quality in sub-Saharan Africa. The Index assesses national progress in five key areas, which together constitute a holistic definition of good governance.
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Five areas are:
1) Safety and Security
2) Rule of Law, Transparency and Corruption
3) Participation and Human Rights
4) Sustainable Economic Development
5) Human Development
IMF eLibrary Data Provides access IFS (International Financial Statistics), BOPS (Balance of Payments), DOTS (Direction of Trade) and GFS (Government Finance Statistics).
International Data Base (IBD) Provides demographic indicators, population pyramids, and source information for countries and areas of the world with a population of 5,000 or more.
International Financial System (IFS) on IMF eLibrary Data For most countries, IFS provides balance of payments, international liquidity, money and banking, current data on exchange rates, interest rates, prices, production, international transactions, government accounts, national accounts, and population, with history to 1948.
International Labour Organisation (ILO) - ILOSTAT ☺ The primary source for cross-country statistics on the labour market. The database contains over 100 indicators covering more than 230 countries and economies.
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is a lead global intergovernmental agency for energy transformation that serves as the principal platform for international cooperation, supports countries in their energy transitions, and provides state of the art data and analyses on technology, innovation, policy, finance and investment.
International Trade Centre (ITC) Market Analsis Tools The Market Analysis Tools portal is the access point to one of the world’s largest databases on trade statistics, tariff data, foreign direct investment data and voluntary standards. ITC has developed five online tools – Trade Map, Market Access Map, Investment Map, Trade Competitiveness Map and Standards Map – that collectively help improve transparency in international trade.
IRESS Expert ▼Financial data and company reports for South African listed, de-listed and unlisted companies. Access is from two stand-alone PCs in the Business Corner, Level 5, Chancellor Oppenheimer Library. Access online https://expert-iress-co-za.ezproxy.uct.ac.za/
Minnesota Integrated Public Use Microdata Series International ☺Census microdata for social and economic research
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IPUMS-International is a project dedicated to collecting and distributing census data from around the world. Its goals are to:
Collect and preserve data and documentation
Harmonize data
Disseminate the data absolutely free!
National Bureau of Economic Research (USA) Data ☺Macro; Industry; International Trade; Individual; Hospital; Demographics & Vital Statistics; Patent & Scientific Papers etc.
National Income Dynamics Study - NIDS The National Income Dynamic Study (NIDS), is the first national panel study in South Africa. The Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit (SALDRU) based at the School of Economics at the University of Cape Town is tasked with implementing this survey.

OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window OECD’s Online Library containing all books and papers published since 1998 as well as a vast collection of statistics with data going back to the early 1960s. UCT access does not include the IEA statistics.

re3data.org re3data.org is a global registry of research data repositories that covers research data repositories from different academic disciplines. It presents repositories for the permanent storage and access of data sets to researchers, funding bodies, publishers and scholarly institutions.
Sachs and Warner Datasets from Bristol University ☺Datasets used in several papers by Sachs and Warner
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Datasets relate to:Sachs, J. D. and Warner, A. M. (1995) Economic reform and the process of global integration. Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 1-118. Sachs, J. D. and Warner, A. M. (1997a) Sources of slow growth in African economies. Journal of African Economies, 6(3), October, 335-376. Sachs, J. D. and Warner, A. M. (1997b) Fundamental sources of long-run growth. American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings, May.
SIPRI databases SIPRI is an independent international institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Databases include: 1. SIPRI Arms Transfers Database 2. SIPRI Mapping ATT-Relevant Cooperation and Assistance Activities Database 3. SIPRI Arms Industry Database 4. SIPRI Multilateral Peace Operations Database 5. SIPRI Military Expenditure Database
South African Census ▼Available on standalone workstations in the Government Publications Dept., Level 4, Chancellor Oppenheimer Library.
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Provides South African census data from 14 databases published by Statistics South Africa. Data can be accessed by electoral ward, magisterial district, municipality, and province using SuperTable software.
South African Institute of Race Relations ☺Provides a wide variety of statistical and other data on South Africa, ranging from education, health, social development and welfare to business, employment, the economy, and politics.
South African Reserve Bank (SARB) ☺Statistics from the South African Reserve Bank
Stats SA ☺ Source of data from Statistics South Africa
Summers-Heston Dataset from Bristol University ☺The Summers-Heston data set, or Penn World Table, has been the foundation of most empirical growth research since the mid-1980's.
UCLA Statistics Data Sets ☺Some of the data that UCLA stat uses in their labs and assignments.
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Datasets for Teaching: Labs, Courses Simulated and Observed Data collection from the Statistics Online Computational Resource (www.SOCR.ucla.edu)

Data from Books: Petruccelli, Nandram and Chen; Freedman, Pisani, and Purves; Andrews and Herzberg,
Carlson and Thorn; Cox and Snell; Hand, Daly, Lunn, McConway and Ostrowski; Moore

Data from Consulting Projects: The California Learning Assessment Study; The National Educational Longitudinal Study 1988

Data from National Statistics Agencies: These can be found by going to the appropriate country in The World of Statistics

Social Science Data Archives: Council of European Social Science Data Archives; UCSD Data on the Net; Data from US Governmental Agencies
UCDP - Uppsala Conflict Data Program The Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) is the world’s main provider of data on organized violence and the oldest ongoing data collection project for civil war, with a history of almost 40 years. Its definition of armed conflict has become the global standard of how conflicts are systematically defined and studied.

UN Comtrade This link opens in a new window UN Comtrade stands for United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database. Every year over 130 countries provide the United Nations Statistics Division with their annual international trade statistics, detailed by commodity and partner country. These data are processed into a standard format with consistent coding and valuation. All values are converted into US dollars using exchange rates supplied by the countries, or derived from monthly market rates and volume of trade.
Quantities are, if provided by the country and if possible, converted into metric units. The data are then stored in a computerized data base system, called UN COMTRADE. For many countries the data coverage starts as far back as 1962 and goes up to the most recent completed year.

A user must register and log in to use the full features of the UN Comtrade database.

UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Data Downloader
UNCTAD Stat ☺ United Nations Conference on Trade and Development offers ready-to-use analytical groupings, with a unique coverage for countries and products and a particular focus on developing and transition economies. The statistical series are regularly updated and classified into easy-to-navigate themes.
UNESCO Institute for Statistics ☺Access data and build your own statistical tables related to UNESCO's fields of action. The Data Centre contains over 1,000 types of indicators and raw data on education, literacy, science and technology, culture and communication. The UIS collects the data for more than 200 countries from Member States and international organizations.
UNdata (United Nations Statistical Division) ☺The United Nations Statistical Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) has launched a new internet-based data service for the global user community. It brings UN statistical databases within easy reach of users through a single entry point. Users can search & download a variety of statistical resources of the UN system.
University of Bristol Datasets ☺Mostly on growth
World Bank Data ☺The World Bank's Open Data initiative is intended to provide all users with access to World Bank data, according to the Open Data Terms of Use. The data catalog is a listing of available World Bank datasets, including databases, pre-formatted tables, reports, and other resources.
World Development Indicators from World Bank ☺World Bank Database of economic and demographic indicators for countries and regions of the world, stretching back to 1960.
World Economic Forum Reports ☺WEF publishes a comprehensive series of reports which examine in detail the broad range of global issues it seeks to address with stakeholders as part of its mission of improving the state of the world. Besides reports on its key events and standalone publications such as the Global Competitiveness Report, the Global Risks Report and the Global Gender Gap Report, the Forum produces landmark titles covering the environment, education, individual industries and technologies.
World Governance Assessment Dataset ☺This dataset includes 30 indicators for 16 developing countries, representing 51% of the world’s population, for the years 1996 and 2000
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The data includes 5 indicators each within 6 arenas of governance: Civil Society: the ways citizens become aware of and raise political issues; Political Society: the way societal interests are aggregated in politics; Government: the rules for stewardship of the system as a whole; Bureaucracy: the rules guiding how policies are implemented; Economic Society: how state-market relations are structured; and, Judiciary: the rules for how disputes are settled.
World Health Organization Data & Statistics ☺Includes: Global Health Observatory (GHO), which provides access to data and analyses for monitoring the global health situation. Provides critical data and analyses for over 30 health themes ranging from health systems to disease-specific themes, as well as direct access to the full database. Global Health Estimates (GHE), which provides a comprehensive and comparable assessment of mortality and loss of health due to diseases, injuries and risk factors. Global, regional and country estimates for all-cause mortality, and deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) by age, sex and cause, are available for download. WHO Mortality Database, with annual death registration data on causes of death by age and sex as reported from civil registration systems of more than 100 Member States.
Worldwide Governance Indicators Project from World Bank ☺ The Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project reports aggregate and individual governance indicators for over 200 countries and territories over the period 1996–2017, for six dimensions of governance: Voice and Accountability Political Stability and Absence of Violence Government Effectiveness Regulatory Quality Rule of Law Control of Corruption
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Six dimensions of governance: Voice and Accountability; Political Stability and Absence of Violence; Government Effectiveness; Regulatory Quality; Rule of Law; Control of Corruption
World Income and Inequality Database The UNU-WIDER World Income Inequality Database (WIID) collects and stores information on income inequality for developed, developing, and transition countries.
WTO Stats The WTO Stats portal contains statistical indicators related to WTO issues. Available time series cover merchandise trade and trade in services statistics (annual, quarterly and monthly), market access indicators (bound, applied & preferential tariffs), non-tariff information as well as other indicators.

Book to use Bloomberg or Eikon/Datastream

4 Bloomberg terminals are available to access on campus and 3 Eikon/Datastream terminals are available to access off campus. Make a booking to access the databases.

Book a Bloomberg On CampusTerminal

Book an Eikon/Datastream Online Terminal

Using screener to get data from IRESS Expert

Accessing Datastream

How to find GDP or other economic data using Datastream in Excel

Video showing how to access data using Datastream in Excel

Thomson Reuters

Training videos for Datastream and Eikon are available on the Refinitiv training site.

Accessing World Bank Data

Accessing World Bank Data

Video giving an overview of how to access World Bank Data