Guides and databases: Data and Statistics: Conflict and political risk

Conflict and political risk

Cross-National Time-Series Data Archive (CNTS Archive)
The CNTS archive has 196 variables and contains data for over 200 countries from 1815 onward (excluding 1914-1918 and 1940-1945). Data covers economic, political, population and demographic variables. Emphasis is on domestic conflict (events occurring within a particular country), political, legislative and economic data.
EIU Viewpoint
Combines the EIU’s expert political insights, policy analysis and economic outlook with forward-looking forecasts and proprietary data. Includes EIU Country Reports.
ICRG Researchers' Dataset Table 3B (Political Risk)
The ICRG Researcher's Dataset - Table 3B provides annual averages of the 12 components of ICRG's Political Risk Ratings (Table 3B), as published in the International Country Risk Guide since 1984. Average ratings are provided for all countries covered by ICRG from 1984 through the last full calendar year.

Selected websites:

ACLED (Armed Conflict Location and Events Dataset) (1997–)
A comprehensive public collection of political violence data for developing states. These data contain information on the specific dates and locations of political violence, the types of event, the groups involved, fatalities and changes in territorial control. Information is recorded on the battles, killings, riots, and recruitment activities of rebels, governments, militias, armed groups, protesters and civilians. Event data are derived from a variety of sources, mainly concentrating on reports from war zones, humanitarian agencies, and research publications. All ACLED data can be downloaded on this site by country in excel and GIS formats.
Center for Security Studies: Datasets
CSS ETH presents a number of prominent sites that provide statistical information on a variety of economic, development and security-related topics.
Chicago Project on Security and Terrorism (CPOST): Suicide Attack Database
Searchable database on all suicide attacks from 1974 through June 2016. Includes information about the location of attacks, the target type, the weapon used, and systematic information on the demographic and general biographical characteristics of suicide attackers.
Children and Armed Conflict Unit
The site provides country specific information on conflict areas, both past and present, and on countries with related issues affecting children. It includes background on the conflict, the most recent conflict developments, NGO and IGO links, field activity and comment, reports and analysis from organisations and journalists. In addition, it contains relevant international and national agreements and legislation.
Data of Armed Conflict and Security (DACS)

Event Data on Armed Conflict and Security (EDACS) project compiles and analyses spatially and temporally disaggregated data on the use of violence in the context of civil wars in Sub-Sahara-Africa, starting with the end of the cold war until 2009.

Consolidated List Of Wars (CoLoW) aims at simplifying comparisons of data quality and data collection in the field of quantitative research on the causes and dynamics of war. Through a discussion of problematic cases and data gathering strategies, the aim is to increase transparency regarding the development and use of datasets in the field and make it easier for researchers and practitioners alike to choose the right data for their purposes.

Private Security Database (PSD) collects data on the use of Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) by public actors (governments and international organisations) in areas of limited statehood, and asks in general who consumed what kind of private security in failing states (where, for how long). The data are focused on a specific set of countries that experienced state failure or even collapse in at least one year in the period 1990–2007.

Integrated Network for Societal Conflict Research (INSCR)
The data resources were prepared by researchers associated with the Center for Systemic Peace and are generated and/or compiled using open source information. These resources are made available as a service to the research community. All CSP/INSCR data resources have been cross-checked with other data resources to ensure, as far as possible, that the information recorded is accurate, reliable and comprehensive.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
SIPRI provides data and analysis on conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament, based on open sources.
Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP)
A provider of data on organized violence and the oldest ongoing data collection project for civil war. It produces high-quality data, which are systematically collected, have global coverage, are comparable across cases and countries, and have long time series which are updated annually.
UCDP also operates and continuously updates its online database (UCDP Conflict Encyclopedia) on armed conflicts and organised violence, in which information on several aspects of armed conflict such as conflict dynamics and conflict resolution is available. This interactive database offers a web-based system for visualising, handling and downloading data, including ready-made datasets on organised violence and peacemaking.