Statistics
Popular Sources for Statistics
Governments
Governments publish datasets in housing, education, industry, labor, health, and more. See USA.gov for a listing of statistics publications.
Intergovernmental Organizations
Intergovernmenal organizations, such as the United Nations, publish datasets from around the globe. See UNSD to search the UN for datasets by subject.
Institutional Data Repositories
Many universities have data repositories, where researchers at the university store and share datasets and other research. Use the Registry of Data Repositories to search for datasets by topic.
Research Institutes and Think Tanks
Research institutes and think tanks often gather and publish statistics and datasets. See On Think Tanks to search for think tanks by place or subject.
Evaluating Statistics
Think-tanks, research institutes, charities, and non-governmental organizations are important sources of information. However, they can vary in political leanings, research quality, and transparency. Here are some issues to consider:
- What is their mission?
- How are they funded? Do they have any sponsors?
- Do they use reliable methods for collecting information?
- Do they use reliable methods for analyzing information?
- Are they non-partisan?
Demographics
Government
United States Census Data
It has data and downloadable datasets about population demographics, business, housing, income, and more.
United Nations Statistics Division
Provides economic, demographic, environmental, and developmental statistics.
United States Census Bureau
Posts data from U.S. census, including statistics regarding people and households, business and industry, geography, and more.
World Bank
Access data from World Bank, an organization working toward sustainable globalization.
Intergovernmental Organizations
OECD Factbook
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) provides economic, environmental and social statistics for countries, covering economic production, education, environment, foreign aid, health, industry, information and communications, international trade, labor force, population, taxation, and public expenditure.
Research Institutes
Pew Research Center
Pew is a nonpartisan fact tank. They do extensive public polling of social and political issues. They also investigate social patterns, such as trends in information consumption and social media use.
U.S. Government Information
General
United States Census Data
It has data and downloadable datasets about population demographics, business, housing, income, and more.
POLIDATA Demographic and Political Guides
Compiles data derived from government resources, such as demographic census, political election, and numerous other sources to create reports.
U.S. Catalog of Government Publications
Contains descriptions for historical and recent government documents. Many documents are available online.
U.S. Government Publishing Office
Publishes and disseminates information produced by the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
USA.gov
Official information and services from the U.S. government.
Executive Branch
Budget of the United States Government
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provides a collection of documents detailing the President’s budget plan for the current year.
Economic Report of the President
Contains an economic report published annually that describes the nation’s economic progress.
Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States
This GPO page offers access to Public Papers of the Presidents (papers and speeches), compiled and published by the Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration. The University of Michigan Digital Library provides free access to view Presidential Papers dating back to 1929 and the Hoover Administration.
State of the Union Addresses
Contains States of the Union Address transcripts dating back to President Bill Clinton.
Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents
Provides accesses to presidential remarks, messages, and speeches released on a weekly basis by the White House Press Secretary.
whitehouse.gov
Contains information on past and present presidents.
Legislative Branch
Congressional Bills
Contains all bills from 1993-present.
Congressional Calendars
Provides the agenda for each chamber of Congress.
Congressional Pictorial Directory
Provides a picture of each member of the House of Representatives and Senate.
Economic Indicators
Posts a report written by the Council of Economic Advisors for the Joint Economic Committee, which includes information on prices, wages, purchasing power, business activity, and Federal finance.
History of Bills
Documents the legislative actions on all bills contained in the Congressional Record.
House of Representatives
Contains background information on the House of Representatives, committees, leadership, and house organizations.
Library of Congress: Thomas
Contains congressional legislation, records, and many more documents related to Congress.
Public & Private Laws
Provides the public and private laws enacted since the 104th Congress.
U.S. Code
Documents general and permanent U.S. laws by subject matter.
U.S. Congressional Hearings
Archives congressional hearings in order to oversee government departments or hear opinions on proposed legislation.
U.S. Government Manual
Provides comprehensive information on the three branches of U.S. government.
U.S. Senate
Includes information on committee participation, legislation and records, session schedules, and more.
Judicial Branch
Cornell University Law School: Supreme Court Collection
Includes U.S. Supreme Court Cases 1990-present
FindLaw
Contains U.S. Supreme Court Cases 1893-present
U.S. Administration of U.S. Courts
Maps out U.S. Trial and Appellate courts.
U.S. Supreme Court
Provides information about the Supreme Court, recent Court decisions, case dockets, Court opinions, and more.
Understanding the Federal Courts
Contains background on the federal judicial courts.
Federal Organizations
U.S. Department of Agriculture
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Department of the Treasury
Minnesota Government Information
General
Minnesota.gov Portal
Provides general reference information specific to Minnesota, containing information on topics such as health and safety, social services, education, government, business and jobs, etc.
Statistics
United States Census Data
It has data and downloadable datasets about population demographics, business, housing, income, and more.
Minnesota Community Profiles
This site allows you to access statistics of Minnesota communities, counties, regions, or legislative districts in the areas of demographics, major employers, education, economic development, transportation, utilities, and more. It also profiles demographic characteristics for major Minnesota cities.
Minnesota State Demographic Center
Compiles Minnesota demographics derived from thet state and U.S. Census Bureau.
Legislature
Minnesota State Legislature
Provides access to audio and video coverage of House and Senate proceedings, updates of the status of bills, committee information, member profiles, and much more.
Historical Information about the Minnesota State Legislature
Includes information about House and Senate leadership, party control, women in the Minnesota Legislature, and historical information about the Minnesota State Government.
Minnesota Legislators: Past & Present
Includes a searchable list of current and previous Minnesota legislator profiles dating back to territorial times.
Minnesota Legislative Manual (Blue Book)
Contains the current Minnesota Legislative Manual, which can be downloaded. The Blue Book contains information about Minnesota, government procedures, and elected officials.
Law
Minnesota Judicial Branch
Contains information about the apellate and district courts as well as court procedures.
Minnesota Statutes, Laws, and Rules
Allows users to search Minnesota statutes, laws, and rules and to view the entire Minnesota constitution.
Natural Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources: Laws, Treaties, & Related Documents
Contains documents related to Minnesota natural resources. Topics include conservation, game and fishing rules, statutes specific to Minnesota geographic areas, etc.
Minnesota State Parks
Details the activities available at specific parks (i.e. bird watching, camping, tours, lodging, etc.)
Minnesota Traveler Information
Road conditions, weather, travel, traffic reports.
Organizations
Minnesota Newspaper Association
Provides demographic information on all Minnesota newspapers as well as supportive resources for journalists.
Office of the Governor
Includes press releases, podcasts, photo galleries, and contact information for the current governor.
Department of Education
Contains information on Minnesota educational standards, accountability programs, teacher support resources, statistics, and news.
Business & Trade
Government
United States Bureau of Labor
Provides labor related statistics, including inflation and prices, spending and time use, employment, pay, productivity, workplace injuries, international comparisons, and more.
United States Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Posts statistics on the airline and freight industries.
Department of Commerce
Details officials working in the Department of Commerce, services available, and budget and performance.
Foreign Trade Statistics
Includes foreign trade highlights, press releases, and country and state trade statistics.
Education
Government
National Center for Education Statistics
The NCES is a division of the U.S. Department of Education. Find statistics and datasets and on libraries, K-12 education, and higher education.
Research Institutes
Health & Medicine
Government
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Data and Statistics section of the CDC has datasets on a variety of heatlh topics including, heart disease, smoking, injuries and violence, and kidney disease.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaide Services: Research, Statistics, Data and Systems
CMS is a division of the Department of Health and Human Services.
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps
County Health Rankings and Roadmaps is produced by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Indian Health Service
The IHS is a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Find health statistics on Native Alaskans and American Indians.
Minnesota Department of Health
The Minnesota Department of Health tracks and publishes data on health topics including water quality, obesity, health insurance, and more. Most data can be narrowed by city, county, or zip code.
National Center for Health Statistics (Centers for Disease Control)
The NCHS is the statistics division of the CDC. Find extensive datasets on a variety of health topics including: opioids, vaccinations, depression, smoking, heart disease, and injuries.
United States Cancer Statistics
USCS is produced by the Centers for Disease Control and the National Cancer Institute. It includes data on cancer incidents, deaths, and related items.
Intergovernmental Organizations
Global Health Observatory
The GHO is from the World Health Organization. It is a extensive resource for data on all topics related to health, including vaccinations, universal health coverage, women’s health, and more.
Research Institutes
American Cancer Society: Cancer Statistics Center
Global Health Exchange
The Global Health Exchange is the data catalog from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation.
Data Repositories
National Addiction and HIV Data Archive Program
NAHDAP houses data from research from a variety of sources. Search data by variables, funding source, or keywords.
Demographic and Social Data
Pew Research Institute
Pew is a nonpartisan fact tank. They do extensive public polling of social and political issues.
United Nations: Demographic and Social Statistics
Find international statistics on housing, violence against women, people with disabilities and more.
United States Census
The U.S. Census reports demographic data searchable by region or even zip code. It also includes income, housing, and economic data.
Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics
Find compiled statistics about children from various federal agencies. Topics include social environment, economic circumstances, health care, safety, behavior, education, and health.