Many countries of the world produce statistics on economic and social conditions as well as other statistical information. Keep in mind that time lags are normal for many kinds of statistics, such as trade statistics collected by the United Nations and you may find that none of the statistical information you are working with is as up to date as you would like. Here are some of the most common sources for international statistics.

A good way to find "hidden" international statistics is to use the Index to International Statistics (Z7552 .I53 - 6th Floor).  The IIS abstracts and indexes statistical charts which appear in articles.  Like the American Statistical Index (see U.S. Statistics page) the IIS can be a very useful resource because it may not be clear from a publication's title that it contains statistical information. Please note that the IIS only provides citation information. If you find an abstract on point, you must then locate the publication cited, either in the Library or via an interlibrary loan request.

OTHER PRINT RESOURCES

Print copies of many statistical reports from international and foreign organizations are available in our Library and can be found by searching our online catalog.  Some other sources of non-U.S. statistics:

Euro Guide: Yearbook of the Institutions of the European Union and of Other European Organizations
The Euro Guide combines a directory with descriptions of European institutions and bodies.

JN24 .A45 (8th Floor)

UNESCO Statistical Yearbook
Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, the UNESCO Statistical Yearbook is a comprehensive collection of international data in the fields of education, science and technology, culture, and communication.

AZ361 .S72 (Reference Desk; older editions on the 8th floor)

ONLINE RESOURCES

Eurostat (European Union Statistics Website)

Eurostat is the statistical office of the European communities that provides the European Union with statistics that enable comparisons between European countries and regions.

Eurostat offers free access to collections such as Database Information, News Releases, Statistics in Focus, Key Indicators, Methods and Nomenclature, and Working Papers. Other information may require registration and purchase.

International Monetary Fund

The IMF publishes time series data on lending, exchange rates, and other economic and financial indicators.  Publications include manuals, guides, and other materials on statistical practices of the IMF and member countries.

Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Reports

The OECD groups 30 member countries in a unique forum to discuss, develop and refine economic and social policies. The OECD provides over 25 statistical databases and publishes over 4,000 research reports, conventions, working papers, country surveys, and statistics spanning the spectrum of socioeconomics.

For reports, search the Library's online catalog.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)

The UIS publishes statistical data and analyzes in the fields of education, science and technology, culture, and communication. Publications include statistical abstracts, research and analysis, and methodological guides and international classifications.

UN Statistics Division

The United Nations Statistics Division compiles statistics from many international sources and produces global updates, including the UNESCO Statistical Yearbook, World Statistics Pocketbook, and yearbooks in specialized fields of statistics. It also provides to countries specifications of the best methods of compiling information so that data from different sources can be readily compared.

U.S. Census Bureau Statistical Agencies (International)

This website is a directory of international countries with links to their official source of statistics. Note that some sources are available only in languages other than English.

WebStat

The Library of Statistics Finland provides this database of statistics sources available on the Web. The database is searchable by keyword, or it can be browsed by subject, country, or region. The database and almost all of the resources are available in English.  

World Bank

National and International statistics, as well as global statistical programs, are available from the World Bank website.

World Tables Dataset Guide

The World Tables, published annually by the World Bank, provides a detailed collection of the economic data and socioeconomic indicators of developing countries.

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