Research Guides: Political Science: Statistics

Statistical Sources

U.S. Census Bureau: States & Local Areas
Statistics about U.S. cities and counties.

Census.gov This link opens in a new window
The U.S. Census Bureau's mission is to serve as the nation's leading provider of quality data about its people and economy. Comprehensive data on the United States summarized and analyzed.

Economic Indicators (US Census Bureau)
Published monthly by the Council of Economic Advisors for the Joint Economic Committee, provides economic information on GDP, income, employment, production, business activity, prices, money, credit, security markets, Federal finance, and international statistics.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS)
Their mission is "to collect, analyze, publish, and disseminate information on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government." Part of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Global Business Indicators
Leading economic indicators and related composite indexes for the U.S. and a number of other countries.

International Historical Statistics This link opens in a new window
Contains economic, financial, and social statistics for worldwide countries and territories, often spanning centuries and beginning as early as 1750. Find data for Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania, including countries with changed borders. Includes population demographics, vital statistics, labor force, agriculture, industry, external trade, transport & communications, finance, prices, education, and national accounts. Statistical tables are downloadable and editable.

OECD Factbook
Contains economic, environmental and social statistics for the OECD countries (mostly European) using over 100 different economic indicators.
UNdata
Statistical information from member states on agriculture, crime, education, employment, energy, environment, health, HIV/AIDS, human development, industry, information and communication technology, national accounts, population, refugees, tourism, trade, as well as the Millennium Development Goals indicators.
FBI: Uniform Crime Report (UCR)
Crime data from the FBI provided by nearly 17,000 U.S. law enforcement agencies.
CIA World Factbook
The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) supplies dozens of facts for each country including data on geography, people, government, economy, transportation, communication, and defense forces.