Locating Statistical Sources
Sources for statistical information are vast and varied. Many statistics are now available online as governments and organizations increasingly publish their data on the Internet. Much of this online data is very current and is released before the print version but sometimes lacks historical depth. In some cases, government statistics are no longer being published in print format and are only available on the Internet.- Starting Places
- Library Catalog
- Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
- Online Databases
- United States Statistics
- Regional Statistics
- International Statistics
Starting Places
- Fedstats [www.fedstats.gov] - Statistics from over 100 Federal Government agencies.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States. Annual. [Ref. Desk HA 202 A3] - Summaries of U.S. economic, political and social data culled from government sources. Also available online [www.census.gov/statab/www]
- University of Michigan Documents Center: Statistical Resources on the Web. [www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html]
- World Almanac and Book of Facts. Annual. [Ref. Desk AY 67 N5 W7] - National and international statistics on finance, politics, society and industry. Also online in SUNY Cortland Memorial Library Databases [library.cortland.edu/db.asp].
Library Catalog
Books dealing with statistics of all kinds can be found in the Library Catalog. Here are some examples of subject headings.- African Americans--Statistics
- Education--Statistics
- Handicapped--United States--Statistics
- United States--Statistics--Periodicals
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
- Cambridge Dictionary of Statistics. [Ref. QA276.15 .E84 1998]
- Dictionary of U.S. Government Statistical Terms. [Ref. HA 17 D52 1991]
- Guide to Economic Indicators [Ref. HC103 .F9 2000]
Online Databases
For a complete list of databases see SUNY Cortland Memorial Databases [library.cortland.edu/databases.asp]- Expanded Academic ASAP - General database provides access to full-text articles in the arts, humanities, social sciences, science and technology.
- FactSearch - Guide to statistical statements on current social, economic, political, environmental and health issues, from newspapers, periodicals, newsletter and documents such as the Christian Science Monitor, the Congressional Record, Congressional Hearings, Daily Press Briefings of the White House, State Department and Department of Defense, and Australian, British and Canadian Parliamentary Debates. Web links to full-text are included frequently.
- Health Reference Center - Provides access to nursing and allied health journals, plus a wide variety of personal health information sources: journals, newsletters, pamphlets and reference books.
- Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe - Full-text database covering news, business, legal research, government, medical and health information and reference.
- MasterFile Select - Full_text for nearly 800 general reference publications with coverage dating as far back as 1984.
- NewsBank - Full-text access, with archives, to ten New York regional newspapers (including the Ithaca Journal and the Syracuse Post Standard) and to six national newspapers (Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Dallas Morning News and the Philadelphia Inquirer).
- PAIS International - Public policy and public affairs in areas of government, international relations, social sciences, demography, law and legislature, political science and public administration.
- SIRS Researcher - Social, scientific, economic, and political issues worldwide.
- WilsonSelect Plus - Full-text articles in science, humanities, and business.
United States Statistics
These sources emphasize national data, although many of the statistics are broken down by state or city.- American FactFinder [factfinder.census.gov] - Census 2000 data.
- American Tally [Ref. HA201 2000p] - Covers all U.S. cities and towns with populations over 10,000 and ranks them by education, housing costs, etc.
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Immigration Statistics - Statistics on immigrants, country of origin and places settled.
- Bureau of Economic Analysis [www.bea.doc.gov] - Data on industry, wealth, fixed assets and consumer durable goods, gross product by industry.
- Bureau of Justice Statistics [www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs] - Statistics for crime, Federal investigations and prosecutions, felony convictions in state courts, corrections, capital punishment, expenditure, drugs and law enforcement.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics [stats.bls.gov/data/] - Major economic indicators, Consumer Price Index [stats.bls.gov/cpi/home.htm] Employment Cost Index and Current Labor Statistics. Also useful is the BLS Handbook of Methods [www.bls.gov/opub/hom/home.htm]
- Bureau of Transportation Statistics [www.bts.gov] - With Transtats database [transtats.bts.gov]
- Census of Population. Every 10 years, 1790-present. [Ref. HA 201] - Social, economic, educational and demographic data. Between each census, the Current Population Reports [www.census.gov/main/www/cprs.html] provide population estimates. The U.S. Census Bureau People Topics [www.census.gov/population/www/index.html] provides data on population and household economic topics.
- CRB Commodity Yearbook [Ref. HC14 C6 2002] - Commodity Research Bureau compilation of prices for energy, grains, industrials, livestock, precious metals and imported goods.
- Crime State Rankings [Ref. HV6787 .C77 2002]
- Current Population Survey [www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm] - Joint project of the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Bureau of the Census provides monthly statistics on unemployment and the labor force.
- Digest of Educational Statistics. Annual. [Ref. L 112 A35 2000] - National Center for Education Statistics provides data for all levels of education. Also online [nces.ed.gov/edstats].
- Education State Rankings [LA217.2 .E38 2002]
- Federal Justice Statistics Resrouce Center [fjsrc.urban.org/index.cfm[ - Bureau of Justice Statistics Publications, Prisoners on death row by race, Money Laundering Offenders, Judicial District Statistics, Federal Criminal Case Processing etc.
- FedStats [www.fedstats.gov] - Statistics from over 100 Federal Government agencies.
- Firstgov [www.firstgov.gov] - Official web portal for U.S. government.
- GPO Acess [www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/index.html] - Has a Multi-Database Search
- Historical Statistics of the United States: Colonial Times to 1957 [Ref. HA 202 A385 1960]
- Injury Facts. Annual. 1999-present. [Ref. HA 217 A4] - Published by the National Safety Council. Contains statistics on accidents on the road, at the work place, in the home and in the community. (Formerly known as Accident Facts.)
- Monthly Labor Review [stats.bls.gov/opub/mlr/mlrhome.htm] - With Archives. The Current Labor Statistics has tables on U.S. city average CPI, by category and commodity U.S. city average CPI and available local area data and annual U.S. city average.
- National Archive of Criminal Justice Data [www.icpsr.umich.edu/NACJD/] - Preserves and distributes computerized crime and justice data from Federal agencies, state agencies, and investigator initiated research projects to users for secondary statistical analysis.
- National Center for Health Statistics [www.cdc.gov/nchs] - Data on vital events as well as information on health status, lifestyle and exposure to unhealthy influences, the onset and diagnosis of illness and disability, and the use of health care.
- National Criminal Justice Reference Service Statistics [virlib.ncjrs.org/Statistics.asp]
- National Incident-Based Reporting System [www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/ibrs.htm] - Detailed reporting of crime and arrest activities at the incident level.
- Rand McNally Commercial Atlas and Marketing Guide. Annual. [Ref. G 1019 R22 2000 Atlas Stand] - Data on agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and population.
- Rankings and Estimates: Rankings of the States. [Ref. LB2842 .N31185r 2000-01].
- School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) [nces.ed.gov/surveys/ssocs/] - Nationally representative cross-sectional survey of about 3,000 public elementary and secondary schools
- Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics [www.albany.edu/sourcebook/] - With index
- Statistical Abstract of the United States. Annual. [Ref. Desk HA 202 A3] - Summaries of U.S. economic, political and social data culled from government sources. Also available online [www.census.gov/statab/www]
- Statistical Handbook on Consumption and Wealth in the United States [Ref. HC110.C6 S73 1999].
- Statistical Resources on the Web - Sociology [www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stsoc.html]
- Uniform Crime Reports for the United States. Annual, 1965-present. [Ref. HV 6787 A31] - City, county, and state law enforcement program which provides a nationwide view of crime based on the submission of statistics by law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Reports from 1995 are available online. [www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm]
- United States Foreign Trade Highlights. [Ref. Desk HF 3000 U173] - Data on U.S. exports and imports. Available online [www.ita.doc.gov/td/industry/otea/usfth] only from 1998.
- United States Historical Census Data Browser [fisher.lib.virginia.edu/census] - Population and economy, by state and county, from 1790 to 1970.
- Vital Statistics of the United States. [Ref. HA 203 A22] - Population, births and deaths, marriages and divorces. Also available online [www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss.htm] as are the National Vital Statistics Reports. [www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/pubs/pubd/nvsr/nvsr.htm]
Regional Statistics
- American Marketplace: Demographics and Spending Patterns. [Ref. HA 214 A42 1997] - Data on education, health, income, labor force, living arrangements, population, spending and wealth.
- County and City Data Book. [Ref. Desk HA 202 A36 2000] - County and city breakdown of social, political and economic data extracted from major censuses. Also available online [www.census.gov/prod/www/ccdb.html]
- Criminal Justice Statistics for New York State [criminaljustice.state.ny.us/crimnet/data.htm] - Includes data on Disposition of Adult Felony Arrests by County, Index Crimes Reported by Agency, County and Region and Criminal Justice Data Sheet: current preliminary crime, criminal justice system and prison data.
- Health Care State Rankings [Ref. RA407.3 .H423 2004]
- Municipal Year Book. Annual. [Ref. JS342 A2 I52] - Urban data and developments.
- New Book of American Rankings. [Ref. HA 214 N49 1998] - Comparisons of the 50 states in over 400 categories.
- New York State Department of Health [www.health.state.ny.us/home.html] - Offers data on AIDS, Heart Disease, Communicable Diseases and Vital Records [www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/consumer/vr.htm].
- New York State Department of Motor Vehicles Motor Statistics [www.nydmv.state.ny.us/stats.htm] - Data on motor vehicle accidents, vehicle registrations and drivers. The accident data are based in part on written accident reports from motorists and police agencies. Other information, such as population and road mileage, are gathered from other government agencies.
- New York State Education Department [www.nysed.gov] - Offers Statistical Profiles of Public School Districts and Statistical Information about School Performance.
- New York State Population, 1790-1980: A Compilation of Federal Census Data. [Ref. HA545 S58 1987] - Population figures for approximately 3,000 minor civil divisions - towns, villages and unincorporated communities - together with city and county figures.
- 1999 County and City Extra: Annual Metro, City and County Data Book. [Ref. Desk HA 203 C68 1999] - Statistical information for every state, county, metropolitan area, congressional district, and for all cities in the United States with a 1990 population of 25,000 or more.
- Sourcebook of Zip Code Demographics. [Ref. HA203 .S66 1994] - Demographics and buying power for every zip code in the USA.
- State Rankings 2002: A Statistical View of the 50 United States. [Ref. HA 203 S83 2004]
- Vital Statistics of New York State. [Ref. RA 541 .V573] - Birth, death, marriage and divorce statistics. Also available online [www.health.state.ny.us/nysdoh/vital_statistics/index.htm] from 1997 to 2000.
International Statistics
- CRB Commodity Year Book. [HC14 .C6 2000] - Graphs and tables from the BRIDGE Commodity Research Bureau's Futures Price Index for energy, grains, industrials, livestock, precious metals and other commodities.
- Demographic Yearbook. Annuaire démographique [Ref. Desk HA17 .D45]
- Europa World Year Book. 2 vols. [Ref. JN1 .E85 1999] - Provides detailed information on political, economic and commercial institutions.
- Eurostat [europa.eu.int/comm/eurostat] - European Union key indicators.
- Human Development Reports [hdr.undp.org] - Provides statistics on equity, sustainability, productivity and empowerment in 135 countries.
- Illustrated Book of World Rankings. [Ref. Desk HA155 .K87 2001] - Statistics on geography, consumption, religion, politics, foreign aid, economy and health.
- Infonation [www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/info.asp] - United Nations site for k-12 is an "easy-to-use, two-step database that allows you to view and compare the most up-to-date statistical data for the Member States of the United Nations."
- International Historical Statistics [Ref. Desk HA4675 .M55 1995]
- International Monetary Fund [www.imf.org] - Selected data from the World Economic Outlook (WEO) Database is available online.
- International Trade Administration [www.ita.doc.gov] - Export and trade data.
- International Trade Statistics Yearbook [Ref. HF91 .U474 1999]
- Latin American Network Information Center Statistics [www.lanic.utexas.edu/la/region/statistics/] - Provides access to Internet-based information on, from, or about Latin America.
- State of the World: a Worldwatch Institute Report on Progress Toward a Sustainable Society. Annual. [Ref. HC59 .S73] - Data and commentary on world population, agriculture, hunger, pollution, climate, environment, technology, trade and employment.
- Statesman’s Yearbook. Annual. [Ref. JA 51 37]
- Statistical Yearbook. Annuaire Statistique (Unesco) [AZ361 .U45 1999]
- Statistical Yearbook. Annuaire Statistique (United Nations) [Ref. Desk HA12.5 .U63]
- Statistics Canada [www.statcan.ca/english] - Statistics on virtually every aspect of Canada's society and economy.
- Statistical Abstract of the World. [Ref. HA 154 .S68 1997] - Data on 185 countries covering a full range of topics.
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) [www.sipri.se] - Offers data on military expenditure and arms production for more than 160 countries.
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics [www.uis.unesco.org/] - Joint publication by the World Resources Institute, the United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank.
- United Nations Statistics Division [unstats.un.org/unsd/] - Demographic, environmental and economic statistics. There are sections for wages, earnings, Access to some pages may require registration.
- U.S. Census Bureau International Data Base [www.census.gov/ipc/www/idbnew.html] - Statistical tables of demographic, and socio-economic data for 227 countries and areas of the world.
- World Development Reports [econ.worldbank.org/wdr] - Statistics on quality of life, population, environment, economy, states and markets.
- World Factbook. Annual. [Ref. G122 U56a 1999] - Brief, country-by-country summaries include statistics on geography, people, government, economy, communications, transportation and defense. Also available online [www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/].
- World Health Statistics Annual [Ref. RA651 .A485]
- World Labour Report
- World Population: A Reference Handbook - [Ref. HB871 .G47 2001] - Chronology, statistics and graphs, documents
- World Resources. Annual. [Ref. HC 10 W827] - Data on global environment (agroecosystems, coastal and marine ecosystems, forest ecosystems, freshwater systems and grassland ecosystems).
- World Resources, 1998-99: A Guide to the Global Environment: Environmental Change and Human Health. [Ref. RA565 .W67 1998] - Data on natural resources, development and the global environment.
- Year-book of Labour Statistics [HD4826 .I63] - Data on employment, unemployment, hours of work, wages, labour cost, consumer prices, occupational injuries and strikes and lockouts.
Prepared by Margaret Anderson August 2001, revised December 2004
Based on A Guide to Statistical Sources by Gretchen Herrmann (Rev. 1998)