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Statistics - a Guide to Library Resources

This is a selective list of global statistics: 

  • Statistical sources for individual nations & regions are included in the Where Else to look section
  • Australian statistics are included in a separate guide  
Quick Statistical
Information
Australian Statistics*AgricultureDevelopmentDemography*
EconomicsEducation*EnergyEnvironmentFinance
FoodForestryHealth*HistoricalLabour
MineralsSocialTourismTradeTransport
WomenWhere else to look   

*these link to other library statistical guides


Quick Statistical Information

World Factbook [web access]
[CIA publication which includes country by country statistics taken from primary sources]

Nation Master [web access]
[Covers a wide range of subjects including basic statistics on the countries of the world as well as  topics such as Education, Health & Religion]

OECD in figures [electronic]
[Contains key data on OECD countries, ranging from economic growth and employment to education and migration]

Statistical yearbook [print]
[A United Nations annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics]
2005-2008 available electronically here]

Statesman's year-book [print]
Whitakers Almanac [print]
[Ready-reference publications containing statistics taken from primary sources]  


Agriculture & Food
(including Aquaculture, Fisheries & Forestry)

FAO (Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) is the lead agency for agriculture, forestry, fisheries and rural development.  Although this library does not subscribe to its statistical databases, statistical data is freely available via the Corporate Document Repository site.  Use the Search option to locate statistical sources such as:

FAO statistical yearbook
Commodity market review
Food balance sheets
Forest products yearbook

In addition, FAO's annual publication State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) examines key developments in food and agriculture, and  has a useful statistical annexe.


OECD statistical data on agricultural and food topics is available through the library's subscription to OECD iLibrary (formerly SourceOECD). Link via the catalogue 

 

Select BOOKS, then Theme: Agriculture and Food for the following statistical publications:

Economic accounts for agriculture
Environmental indicators for agriculture
OECD/FAO agricultural outlook
Review of fisheries in OECD countries (Vol.2 Country statistics)

Other sources:


Agricultural Science and Technology Indicators (ASTI) [web access]
[The ASTI timeseries database provides access to agricultural R&D indicators for developing countries]

Global wine statistics compendium [print - Waite Campus only]
[Based primarily on United Nations data sources, FAOSTAT and COMTRADE data, cross-referenced with other country-specific data where available]

World agricultural production [web access]
[This monthly publication of the US Dept. of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service includes statistical data on U.S. and world production of major agricultural products]


Economics & Finance

OECD economics & finance statistical publications are available through the library's subscription to OECD iLibrary (formerlySourceOECD). Their OECD.Stat service enables users to search for and extract data from across OECD’s many databases.

To see the full text of individual OECD statistical publications link to the OECD iLibrary homepage via the catalogue  

Select PAPERS then Journals, or Annuals & Outlooks for the following:
OECD economic outlook
OECD economic surveys
Financial market trends
Select BOOKS, then Theme: Finance & investment for the following:
Central government debt: statistical yearbook
External debt statistics
Institutional investors: statistical yearbook
International direct investment statistics yearbook


Select STATISTICS then Databases for:
Main economic indicators
Select STATISTICS then Books for:
Historical statistics
Quarterly national accounts
National accounts of OECD countries
Revenue statistics

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is an international organisation that oversees the global financial system.
Many IMF publications are available online.

IMF e-Library statistics - recent publications can be searched here and viewed in PDF format  
Key statistical publications:
Balance of payments statistics online 1999-
Direction of trade statistics online 1999-
Government finance statistics online 1999-
IMF staff country reports 1999-
International financial statistics online 1999-

Other sources:

CEIC [electronic]
[Access to financial time series data. Delivers company financial, sectorial financial and operational information along with statistics from recognized industry associations]

EconoMagic [web access]
[Free, easily available economic time series data useful for economic research.  The majority is USA data, although other countries (especially Australia) are covered]

Global Price & Income History Group [web access]
[A research team measuring prices, incomes and economic wellbeing before 1950]

Guide To Free Economics And Business Data On The Web [web access]
[Guide to free data sources available on the Web]

International yearbook of industrial statistics [print]
[UNIDO statistics on current performance and trends in the manufacturing sector]

Joint External Debt Hub (JEDH) [web access]
[Brings togther external debt data & selected foreign assets from international creditor/market and national debtor sources]

Penn World Table [web access]
[The Penn World Table provides purchasing power parity and national income accounts converted to international prices for 188 countries]

World economic and social survey [web access]
[UN analysis of long-term social & economic development issues with a significant statistical annexe. Also available in print format]


Energy & Mineral Resources

OECD energy-related statistical publications (including those of its specialised agencies - the International Energy Agency & the Nuclear Energy Agency) are available through the library's subscription to OECD iLibrary (formerly SourceOECD). Link via the catalogue  

Select BOOKS, then Theme: Energy for the following:
Coal information
Electricity information
Energy balances of non-OECD countries
Energy balances of OECD countries
Energy statistics of non-OECD countries
Energy statistics of OECD countries
Natural gas information
Oil information
Renewables information
World energy outlook

Select BOOKS, then Theme: Nuclear Energy for the following:
Nuclear energy data
Uranium resources production and demand

Select BOOKS, then Theme: Industry, Services & Trade for the following :
Iron and steel industry

Select STATISTICS, then Books for the following: 
Energy prices and taxes
Oil gas coal and electricity quarterly statistics

For quick facts try the Key World Energy Statistics published by the International Energy Agency

Other sources:

Annual statistical bulletin [web access]
[from OPEC (Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries)

Energy electricity and nuclear power estimates for the period up to 2030 [web access]
[From the International Atomic Energy Agency]

Energy statistics [web access]
[From the United Nations]

International energy annual [web access] 
[From the U.S. Energy Information Administration]

Mineral commodity summaries [web access]
[From the U.S. Geological Survey]

Minerals yearbook [web access]
[From the U.S. Geological Survey]

Statistical review of world energy [web access]
From BP (British Petroleum)   


Environment

OECD environment-related statistical publications are available electronically via OECD iLibrary (formerly SourceOECD). Link via the catalogue 

Select BOOKS, then Theme: Environment & Sustainable Development to link to the following statistical publications:  

CO2 emissions from fuel combustion
Environment at a glance: OECD environmental indicators
OECD environmental data
OECD environmental indicators
Towards sustainable development: environmental indicators

Other Sources:

Environmental data report (latest edition is for 1993/1994) [print]
[United Nations Environment Programme publication which contains data sets on subjects such as 'Natural Resources' and 'Population' with reports on trends in relation to the global environment]

Environmental sustainability index [web access]
[The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) is a measure of the overall progress towards environmental sustainability by individual nations. Includes both statistical & analytical data]

Statistical yearbook  [print]
[The U.N. Statistical Yearbook is an annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics on over 200 countries and areas]
2005-2008 available online

Vital signs  [print]
[Worldwatch Institute publication which tracks and analyses environmental trends that are shaping the world today]

World resources 2005  [web access]
[A World Resources Institute publication which includes statistics on current environmental  trends in more than 150 countries. Also available in print format]


Historical Statistics

Sources

Statistical yearbook (1948 onwards) [print]
[A United Nations annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics]

Statistical yearbooks (1927-1945) [web access]
[Full-text access to the League of Nations statistical data]

Guides to historical statistical sources

International historical statistics : Africa, Asia & Oceania, 1750-1993 [print]

International historical statistics, Europe, 1750-1993 [print]

International historical statistics : the Americas 1750-1993 [print]


Labour & Employment

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a UN agency which seeks the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights

The ILO produces LABORSTA - the Labour Statistics Database - which contains time-series tables on employment, unemployment & other related labor statistical data for individual countries & territories. The following ILO statistical publications are also available:

Year book of labour statistics [print]
[The data contained in this annual publication is complemented by the Bulletin of Labour Statistics which is published twice yearly ahead of the annual volume]
Available online here.

Sources and methods : labour statistics [print]
[Methodological decriptions of the national statistics on the subjects published in the Yearbook of labour statistics]

OECD labour & employment statistical publications are available through the library's subscription to OECD iLibrary (formerly SourceOECD}. Link via the catalogue  

Select STATISTICS, then Books for the following:
Labour force statistics
OECD employment outlook

Main economic indicators
Quarterly labour force statistics

Another source for labour statistics is:

Chartbook of international labor comparisons: The Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe [web access]
[Compiled by the US Dept of Labor]


Social Statistics

Economic and Social Data Service (ESDS) [web access]
From Universities of Essex and Manchester. Links to statistics for UK and Europe.
ESDS International - See Section 3: National Statistics Institutes. This is a comprehensive list of national statistics office web sites in alphabetical order. Most useful for individual country information for example on the economy, population and society at national and local level.

Social Indicators [web access]
[UN data on topics such as population, human settlements, housing, health, education]

Statistical yearbook  [print]
[The U.N. Statistical Yearbook is an annual compilation of a wide range of international economic, social and environmental statistics on over 200 countries and areas]
2005-2008 available online

Compendium of human settlement statistics [web access]
[UN sourced world-wide statistics on housing]

Human development report statistical tools [web access]
[Statistical data from the UN Development Programme publication Human Development Report]

Statistics and indicators on women and men [web access]
[This UN site provides statistics and indicators on women and men in fields such as population, families, health, education, work and human rights]

UNESCO Institute for Statistics [web access]
[Contains indicators and raw data on topics such as education, literacy culture and communication]

WDI online
[Access to World Bank economic, social & natural resources indicators of  development]

World resources 2005 [web access]
[A World Resources Institute publication which includes statistics on current environmental, social, and economic trends in more than 150 countries. Also available in print format]


Tourism

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) is the leading international organisation in the field of travel and tourism. The web-site offers some facts and figures but their major statistical publications are in print format:

Yearbook of tourism statistics [print]
[Presents a comprehensive compendium of the most important internationally comparable data for the analysis of tourism development]

Compendium of tourism statistics [print]
[A condensed and quick-reference guide on the major tourism statistical indicators in each country]

A source for non-current statistics is:

National and international tourism statistics 1974 -1985 [print]
[A collection of time series which illustrate the trend in national & international tourism from the 1970's to 1985 for OECD countries]


Trade & Development

World Trade Organization (WTO)

International trade statistics [web access]
[Provides statistics on trade in merchandise & commercial services]

Statistics Database [web access]
[Interactive access to the most up-to-date WTO trade statistics]

IMF (International Monetary Fund)
Direction of trade statistics yearbook
  [print]
[Provides data on the country and area distribution of countries' exports and imports by their partners]
Direction of trade statistics online 1999-

OECD trade & development statistical publications are available through the library's subscription to OECD iLibrary (formerly SourceOECD). Link via the catalogue 

Select STATISTICS, then Books for the following:
International trade by commodities
Monthly statistics of international trade
Measuring globalisation

Search OECD iLibrary homepage search box for the following:
Towards sustainable development: environmental indicators

UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade & Development)

UNCTAD handbook of statistics [web access]
[Provides a comprehensive collection of statistical data relevant to the analysis of international trade, investment and development, for individual countries and for economic and trade groupings]

United Nations

Commodity trade statistics database (COMTRADE) [web access]
[Comtrade provides commodity trade data for all available countries and areas since 1962.  Free access (with restrictions) for guest user]

International trade statistics yearbook [print]
[Provides information relevant to the external trade performance of approximately 180 countries or areas and highlights world trade of selected commodities]

World Bank 

WDI online [electronic - access restricted to UofA users]
[Access to World Bank economic, social & natural resources indicators of  development]

Little green data book 2006 [web access]
[Statistics are based on the publication World Development Indicators 2006]


Transport

OECD statistical publications on transport topics are available through the library's subscription to OECD iLibrary (formerlySourceOECD). Link via the catalogue  

Select STATISTICS, then Books for the following:
Statistical report on road accidents
Trends in the transport sector 2010

More statistical data may be available from the Transportation Statistics section of the Online TDM encyclopedia


Women

Genderstats [web access]
[Maintained by the World Bank, Genderstats is a database of gender statistics and indicators]

Gender, Institutions and Development Data Base (GID-DB) [web access]
[OECD database which presents comparative data on gender equality in countries around the world]

World's women 2005 [web access]
World's women 2010
[UN publication published at five-year intervals which focuses on national reporting of sex disaggregated statistics]


Where Else To Look

The following provide information on sources for global, regional and national statistical data

OFFSTATS : Official Statistics on the Web [web access]
[From University of Auckland. Lists web sites offering free and easily accessible social, economic and general data from official or similar sources, especially those that provide both current data and time series]

Statistical Data Locators [web access]
[Links to sources of statistics available on the Internet. Maintained by the NTU Library, Singapore]

Statistical Sites on the World Wide Web [web access]
[List of links to U.S. and international statistical agencies. Maintained by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics]

Statistics Indonesia [web access]
[Indonesian Census data website - developed in collaboration by staff from BPS-Statistics Indonesia, The Australian National University, and Demographic Institute Faculty of Economics University of Indonesia]

Statistics Sources [web access]
[A collection of web sources providing statistics. Compiled by the RBA Information Services]

Web-servers at Statistical Agencies [web access]
[A site provided by Statistics Norway]

Statistics sources  [print]
[Guide to current sources of international statistical information]

Last update: 15 Oct, 2010  Helen Attar