Guides: Arab & Middle Eastern Studies: Statistical Sources

Government and Legal Resources

Data Planet Statistical Datasets This link opens in a new window
A vast collection of US and international statistics in Data Planet Statistical Datasets. Allows you to scan and search the contents of billions of datasets, compare and contrast variables of interest, and create customized views in tables, maps, rankings, and charts. Views also include descriptive summaries of the datasets and data sources.
Datasets cover a wide range of subjects including, business, finance, banking, economics, sociology, political science, demography, agriculture, education, international studies, criminal justice, energy, housing and construction as well as labor and employment. Dataplanet also incorporates all of the content previously available in Sage Stats.
UNdata This link opens in a new window
1970- .

Over 300 sets of economic, social, and financial statistics from a wide assortment of United Nations agencies and other international organizations. Most data are available in time series from 1970 or 1980 to the present. (Statistics for some items lag by several years.)
Statista This link opens in a new window
Provides access to statistics and studies gathered by market researchers, trade organizations, scientific publications, and government sources on over 600 industries

DBnomics
DBnomics is a free platform to aggregate publicly-available economic data provided by national and international statistical institutions, but also by researchers and private companies.

GovInfo This link opens in a new window
GovInfo replaces the Federal Digital System (FDsys) and is a service of the United States Government Publishing Office (GPO). It provides free public access to official publications from all three branches of the Federal Government, such as the Federal Register, the Code of Federal Regulations, the Congressional Record, Congressional bills, Congressional hearings and reports, and laws.
World Bank Data Catalog This link opens in a new window
The World Bank's Open Data initiative is intended to provide all users with access to World Bank data. These resources include databases, pre-formatted tables and reports.
The data catalog is a listing of available World Bank data sources. This listing will continue to be updated as additional data resources are added.
Each of the listings includes a description of the data source and a direct link to that source. Where possible, the databases are linked directly to a selection screen to allow users to select the countries, indicators, and years they would like to search. Those search results can be exported in different formats. Users can also choose to download the entire database directly from the catalog.
IMF Data This link opens in a new window
A portal to all IMF datasets, including International Financial Statistics (IFS), Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS), Government Finance Statistics (GFS), Balance of Payments Statistics (BOP, World and Regional Aggregates), Financial Access Survey (FAS), Coordinated Direct Investment Survey (CDIS), Coordinated Portfolio Investment Survey (CPIS) and International Reserves Template. You can search a combination of 308 countries, regions and NGOs. Contains 7325 economic concepts. Covers 1948-present. Freely available.
To query data, follow these instructions.

Foreign Relations of the United States (FRUS)
The FRUS is the official documentary historical record of major U.S. foreign policy decisions produced by the Office of the Historian at the State Department.
Uppsala Conflict Data Program
Data on armed conflicts, trends, and peace agreements.

Public Opinion in the Middle East & North Africa

YouGov MENA
YouGov produces important market research surveys related to the Middle East & North Africa.
Media Use in the Middle East
Northwestern University in Qatar conducts an annual region-wide survey of media use patterns, content preferences, and attitudes toward issues such as censorship, digital privacy, freedom of speech, and cultural preservation.
Arab Barometer
Arab Barometer provides survey data on a variety of social and political issues related to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).