Data & Statistics for Journalists: International
Finding International Data
There are a variety of sources for international data, and of course many intersect with other data topics like demographics, economics, etc. Two of the most popular are the World Bank and the United Nations.
United Nations Demographic YearbookCompiles official statistics for 230+ countries. Contains chapters on population size and distribution, fertility, mortality, nuptiality and divorce.
- World databank / The World Bank Group. This link opens in a new windowA complilation of a number of World Bank data products, the most significant one being World development indicators (WDI).
- UN comtrade / United Nations Statistics Division This link opens in a new windowUN Commodity Trade Statistics Database (UN Comtrade) contains trade data (imports, exports and re-exports) from countries world-wide. For each country annual data can be retrieved by commodity and trading partner. Commodity is defined by either standard international product codes or international industry codes.
- Yearbook of international organizations online This link opens in a new windowIncludes all data published in the printed Yearbook of international organizations (Volumes 1A, 1B, 2, 3, and 4), Who's who in international organizations, and the whole Encyclopedia. Includes the searchable databases: Global strategies - solutions, Human values, Human development, Patterns and metaphors, Bibliography (issues), Integrative concepts, Network visualizations, and Transnational associations.
- Developmental Data LibraryIncludes international food assistance programs, health surveys and “dollars to results” data for foreign aid to dozens of countries.