Data Sources

Directories of Public Data

Google Public Data Explorer

• As described on their own website: 

The Google Public Data Explorer makes large, public-interest datasets easy to explore, visualize and communicate. As the charts and maps animate over time, the changes in the world become easier to understand. You don't have to be a data expert to navigate between different views, make your own comparisons, and share your findings. 

Students, journalists, policy makers and everyone else can play with the tool to create visualizations of public data, link to them, or embed them in their own webpages. Embedded charts and links can update automatically so you’re always sharing the latest available data.  

The Public Data Explorer launched in March, 2010. See this blog post, which originally announced the product, for more background and historical perspective.

• Google Public Data Explorer Help

International 

• UNPopulation Division Data Query: (VERY USEFUL)
• This allows you to research demographic indicators by country. Also use this option to look for specific data points for specific demographic indicators
• UNPopulation Division Data Graphs: (VERY USEFUL)
• Research demographic profiles and probabilistic projections for countries
• United Nations Statistics Division: 
• Data available alphabetically by country name. Includes data on population, housing, education, literacy, income, and child-bearing.Users can also obtain the current Monthly Bulletin of Statistics.
• UN Development Policy and Analysis Division (DESA)
• Information on LDC criteria including country profiles.
• World Factbook (CIA):
• from their website: "The Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities."
• World Bank Data: 
• various country-specific data and development indicators
• World Health Organization: 
• primary role is to direct and coordinate international health within the United Nations’ system. WHO's Global Health Observatory (GHO) provides data and analyses on global health priorities. 
• US Census International Programs: 
• from the site: "The U.S. Census Bureau conducts demographic, economic, and geographic studies of other countries and strengthens statistical development around the world through technical assistance, training, and software products. For over 60 years, the Census Bureau has performed international analytical work and assisted in the collection, processing, analysis, dissemination, and use of statistics with counterpart governments in over 100 countries."

US Government

• U.S. Bureau of the Census: 
• Official site of the Census Bureau; can choose data by category or geographic location.
• American FactFinder:
• Population, housing, economic and geographic data from the Census Bureau.
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: 
• Bureau of Labor Statistics official site; collects and analyzeslabor economic statistics.Data includes employment and unemployment, payroll, consumer price index, producer price index.Keyword searching is available.
• Bureau of Justice Statistics
• Federal statistics about crime. Has links to FBI Uniform Crime Reports and Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics.
• FedStats: 
• Developed by Federal Interagency Council on Statistical Policy. Provides easy access to statistics produced by government agencies. Can choose data by subject or by agency. Fairly comprehensive and easy to use.
• Current Population Statistics: 
• Conducted by Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Primary source for information on the U.S. labor force.
• County Business Patterns: 
• Available from Census Bureau. Includes information from County Business Patterns, Business Register, Annual Company Organization Survey, Economic Census, Annual Survey of Manufactures, Current Business Survey, administrative records of the IRS, Social Security Administration, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data available back to 1988. Information available by industry.
• Social Security Administration (Office of Policy): 
• Data available includes total number of SSI recipients, total payments, and age and category, at the national, state, and county levels.
• Statistical Abstract of the United States: 
• Annual government publication contains social and economic statistics for the U.S. and selected international data. Data are retrievable from numerous tables which are divided into subjects such as population, vital statistics, education, energy, and agriculture.
• Homeland Security Immigration Statistics: 
• The Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) develops, analyzes, and disseminates statistical information needed to inform policy and assess the effects of immigration in the United States. Our goal is to provide high-quality statistical information that is relevant, timely, cost-effective, and customer-oriented.
• White House Briefing Room: 
• Good source for locating popular economic and demographic information available from various government agencies.
• Vital Statistics of the United States: 
• National Center for Health Statistics site. Contains data on births, deaths, and life expectancy, and health reports. Searchable by keyword. 

Other Data Sources

• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation: 
• provides free, up-to-date, and easy-to-use health data for all 50 states, the District of Columbia, the United States, counties, territories, and other geographies. 
• NYC City Data: 
• Wide-ranging statistical and factual information about New York City from Baruch's Weissman Center for International Business.
• National Center for Education Statistics 
• Data from several National Center for Education Statistics sources; includes The Condition of Education and The Digest of Education Statistics.
• CUNY Office of Institutional Research
• conducts a wide variety of quantitative analysis including graduation rates, student demographics