This list contains links to micro and macro-level data, mainly related to economics. I have not updated this list for a while.
Micro-level data
- Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx, by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington)
- ``New [as of 2011] catalog of the world’s health and demographic datasets''
- International Household Survey Network (IHSN)
- Huge catalog of data from household surveys and censuses, mainly for developing countries
- Provides basic information on the surveys as well as links and contact information
- Keeping Track by the UK Office of National Statistics and ISER
- Large catalog of longitudinal data, with basic search functions and contact information
- Industrialized and developing country sources
- Bureau for Research and Economic Analysis of Development (BREAD)
- Large collection of links to household surveys
- Some links to firm-level, macro data and national statistical offices
- Also has cutting-edge working papers on development economics topics
- Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS)
- Probably the best source for demographic and health data; comparable surveys for some 70 countries. Very good coverage for Africa
- Survey data on request; summary statistics and good documentation openly accessible on website
- Some countries have specialized surveys on HIV, gender etc. Some newer ones also have GIS coordinates
- Multi Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) by UNICEF
- Questionnaires similar to DHS but a better resource for child labor and AIDS
- Need to register for access to datasets
- World Bank Living Standards Measurement Study Household Surveys (LSMS)
- Some of the best-known surveys on this topic (along with DHS)
- Also has some tools for using household data
- RAND Family Life Surveys
- In-depth surveys on Malasia, Indonesia, Guatemala and Matlab (a region of Bangladesh)
- Also holds other household, firm and national economic surveys for Indonesia
- World Bank Research Datasets - Poverty
- Lists a variety of datasets available at the World Bank
- Often these data have been used for studies at the Bank
- International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
- Mainly household and community-level surveys related to food security and production
- Also has some institutional data, social accounting matrixes and geospatial data
- Need to request data through an online form
- World Bank Africa Household Survey Databank
- Features a "survey navigator" for finding data
- Sources of Quantitative Data in Development Economics (by Pamela Jakiela at UC Berkeley)
- List of data sources, including some on Mexican health and aging, and migration in Latin America
- Various health datasets (maintained by John Kane at Oswego State University of New York)
- Mainly US data on health-related issues
- Kaiser Family Foundation list of data sources
- Excellent list of datasets (mainly US)
- Categories include public health, health care financing and delivery, state level data, and related sources
Not-only-economic data
- UCLA Data Archives Home
- Holds some older surveys, often US political polls, election studies and attitude data
- World Bank Institute - Governance
- Data on voice, accountability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and corruption.
- International Peace Research Institute of Oslo (PRIO)
- Conflict databases (on armed conflicts, and battle deaths)
Macro-level data
- World Bank PovcalNet
- Interactive tool to calculate your own poverty lines and compare them across countries
- World Bank Health, Nutrition and Population Statistic Database (HNPStats)
- A variety of such indicators on most countries
- Also features a data query system if you want to select your own comparison countries and time periods
- Global Development Finance (GDF Online)
- Debt and financial flow data of the World Bank
- Link is to access point for Harvard affiliates
- United Nations Commodity Statistics Database (COMTRADE)
- Provides commodity trade data for all available countries and areas since 1962
- Link is to access point for Harvard affiliates
- United Nations Common Database (UNCDB)
- UN's statistical database with more than 300 statistical series from UN and other International Organizations
- Link is to access point for Harvard affiliates
- World Development Indicators (WDI Online)
- Most commonly used cross-country indicators
- Link is to access point for Harvard affiliates
- Useful variable definitions at the University of Michigan
Other sources
- Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research
- "The world's largest archive of digital social science data" at the University of Michigan
- Some datasets available for downloading but this a generally useful site to search for surveys
- DPLS Internet Crossroads
- Data depository at the University of Wisconsin Madison
- Long and uncategorized list of links includes statistical offices of several smaller countries and organizations
- US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Principal U.S. federal statistical agencies and international statistical agencies
- HU-MIT Virtual Data Centre System
- Great source for social sciences (including and beyond economics), keyword searchable
- Holds the World Value Surveys, among other things
- Need to login in top-right corner with Harvard ID