Guides and databases: Data and Statistics: Economic trends

Economic trends

Bloomberg.com / Bloomberg News
Access for UCL students and staff only. Log in with UCL email address then via the UCL Single Sign On. Please note that Bloomberg terminal / Bloomberg Anywhere is not included. Includes access to the Bloomberg.com and the Bloomberg mobile app plus unlimited streaming of Bloomberg TV, radio and podcasts. Bloomberg.com delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video featuring stories from Businessweek and Bloomberg News.
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.
Economist Intelligence Unit Country Reports Archive, 1952-1995
The Economist Intelligence Unit has published Country Reports since 1952, covering almost 200 countries. Each report presents detailed statistics alongside expert commentary and forecasting from the EIU’s analysts. This database presents the historical reports up to 1995. For current reports, access EIU Viewpoint.
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.
EMIS : Emerging Markets Information Service
EMIS is a curator of multi-sector, multi-country industry research from over 4,500 renowned global providers and niche local sources. As well as over 10 million Emerging Market based companies and all globally listed companies. The platform is organised into: Companies, Industries and Regions/ Countries. For more information please see the EMIS Knowledge Portal for short videos on how to use different functions or for a more detailed explanation use the EMIS University User Guide
ICPSR
You need to create an account in order to download data. ICPSR acquires, preserves, enhances, and distributes original social science research data for research and instruction.
OECD iLibrary
Index of publications from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Formerly SourceOECD.
Passport
Access for UCL students and staff only, UCL sign in required. Please select 'Institutional login' then choose UCL from the list of institutions. Euromonitor International offers quality international market intelligence on industries, countries and consumers.
PolicyMap
PolicyMap offers easy-to-use online mapping with data on demographics, real estate, health, jobs and more in communities across the US.
LSEG Workspace (Eikon)
Access for UCL students and staff only. Contact the e-resources team to request a licence. Licences are initially for 1 week and may be reassigned after this depending on demand. Access includes SDC Platinum deal-making data add-on, to access SDC data, type SDC in the top search bar
Statista
Statista is an online portal for statistics consolidating statistical data on over 80,000 topics from more than 22,500 sources and covering over 170 different industries. UCL users do not have access to the Company database or the Global Consumer Survey. The Research AI assistant can provide useful insights into Statista data, but be aware of the limitations of using generative AI for your academic work.
UK Data Service Includes international macrodata from international organisations such as the World Bank, IMF, OECD and UN.
UN Comtrade (United Nations Commodity Trade Statistics Database)
On first use select ‘Login’ then ‘Sign up now’ with your @ucl.ac.uk email address. UCL users should see My Comtrade Premium when registered. To request the API subscription key, please follow this guide . UN Comtrade contains detailed imports and exports statistics reported by statistical authorities of approx 200 countries or areas. It concerns annual trade data from 1962 to the present.

UKDS includes international macrodata from international organisations such as the World Bank, IMF, OECD and UN.

Selected websites:

data.gov.uk
Since 2010 data.gov.uk has been helping people to find and use data published by central government, local authorities and public bodies.
eurostat
Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union, providing statistics that enable comparisons between countries and regions.
Groningen Growth and Development Centre (GGDC)
A platform for research on economic growth and development, largely based on the comprehensive databases on indicators which the Centre compiles and maintains.
Historical Data UK
The repository’s focus is on macroeconomic and financial market data, but it includes a range of economic data disaggregated at a sector, industry and regional level. It contains around 4,000 digitised statistical publications, including complete sets of the core Central Statistics Office (CSO) and past ONS publications.
International Trade Centre Market Analysis Tools (ITC)
The International Trade Centre has developed five web portals: Trade Map, Market Access Map, Investment Map, Trade Competitiveness Map and Standards Map to enhance the transparency of global trade and market access and to help users in their market analyses.
Office for National Statistics
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) is the UKs largest independent producer of official statistics and is the recognised national statistical institute for the UK.
Prices and Wages by Decade
This guide points to consumer prices and wages reported in primary sources for each decade back to the 1700s. Whenever possible, retail price and wage averages are included as reported in government publications. When those are not available, users are guided to figures listed in other contemporary sources such as commercial catalogues, travel guides and newspapers. This site is based on freely available historic resources, mostly from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis FRASER® digital library and the HathiTrust Digital Library.
United Nations Monthly Bulletin of Statistics Online
The database presents current monthly economic statistics for most of the countries and areas of the world. A selection of tables updated less frequently than the regular monthly tables is included. These tables present annual and/or quarterly data on a variety of subjects illustrating important economic trends and developments.
World Development Reports
The guide to the economic, social and environmental state of the world today provides annual in-depth analysis of specific aspect of a development, such as the role of the state, transition economies, labour, infrastructure, health, the environment and poverty.
World Inequality Database
Aims to provide open access to the most extensive available database on the historical evolution of the world distribution of income and wealth, both within countries and between countries combining different data sources (in particular, fiscal data, survey data and national accounts) in a systematic way. Also provides a set of research tools for users in the production of their own inequality datasets.

Selected e-books:

International Historical Statistics
ISBN: 9781349671908
Publication Date: 2013
A compendium of national and international socio-economic data from 1750 to 2010. The digital database is an interactive version of the three-volume work edited by Brian Mitchell (University of Cambridge). Data are available in both Excel and PDF tabular formats. IHS is published by Palgrave.