Sources of Government Data
Governmental bodies collect and distribute data related to a wide array of mandates. As you search for data sources, consider which levels of government (federal, state, local, international, governmental organizations) and which types of agencies (labor, health, education, transportation) may have a mandate to gather and/or disseminate relevant data.
If you're not sure where to start, try these resources:
- Statistical Abstract of the U.S. This link opens in a new windowThe ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States is the authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. This resource is a continuation of the Statistical Abstract of the United States, previously published by the U.S. Census Bureau. In print, the Statistical Abstract of the United States is a one-volume, comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. Online it is 1400+ individually indexed tables (with attached spreadsheets), both searchable and browsable. Use the Abstract as a convenient volume for statistical reference, and as a guide to sources of more information both in print and on the Web.
- Data.govThe U.S. government's portal to open data allows users to easily find some of the latest data from many federal agencies.
- Data and Statistics About the U.S.Find data about the U.S., such as demographic and economic data, population, and maps. Get information about the 2020 U.S. Census.
- Data.census.govData.census.gov is the data dissemination platform to access demographic and economic data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Contains data from 2000-present.
- Census QuickFactsQuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.
- FRASERThe Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis provides a substantial collection of economic and financial data.
Other Data Sources
- UNdataThe data portal of the United Nations searches across a large number of IGO and NGO data resources.
- World Bank Open DataInternational economic indicators and data related to international development are freely available from the World Bank.
- OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
Online library of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) including books, papers and statistics and is the gateway to OECD’s analysis and data.
- ICPSR: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research This link opens in a new window
ICPSR is a membership-based organization providing access to a vast archive of computer-based research and instructional data for the social sciences. Data holdings cover a broad range of disciplines, including political science, sociology, demography, economics, history, education, gerontology, criminal justice, public health, foreign policy, and law. The data and codebooks may be downloaded by UCSB faculty, students, and staff.