LibGuides: Business: Data and Statistics

Statistics Portals

Subject Guides to Data & Statistics sources
This page, compiled by York's data librarian, is an attempt to group, by broad subject area, the vast array of Canadian and foreign/international data and statistics sources. The emphasis is on Canadian sources, but significant foreign/international sources are present as well. This is not an exhaustive list of resources.

Canadian Statistics

The Canadian statistical system is a centralized model; meaning that most data may be accessible through Statistics Canada. Below is a list of resources that may assist in data and statistical retreival through StatsCan.

Statistics Canada
"In Canada, providing statistics is a federal responsibility. As Canada’s central statistical office, Statistics Canada is legislated to serve this function for the whole of Canada and each of the provinces and territories."
CANSIM
"CANSIM is Statistics Canada's key socioeconomic database. Updated daily, CANSIM provides fast and easy access to a large range of the latest statistics available in Canada."
The Daily
Statistics Canada's Official Release Bulletin.
The Census of Canada
The Census of Canada provides demographic and statistical data about Canadians through domestic surveys.
ODESI
"Established in 2007, (Ontario Data Documentation, Extraction Service and Infrastructure) is a digital repository for social science data, including polling data. It is a web-based data exploration, extraction and analysis tool that uses the Data Documentation Initiative (DDI) social science data standard."

Need help using ODESI? Check out these tutorials.

U.S. Based Statistical Agencies

American statistics not only provide information regarding domestic activity, but also U.S. activity with foreign nations. Below is a list of some of the most popular agencies and resources available to help guide you in your research.

Statistical Abstract of the United States - Current Edition (Print Only)
This is the National Data Book of the United States published by the U.S. Census Bureau. It is a collection of statistics on economic and social conditions in the United States. Includes population, labour force, education, income data and much more. Note that the most recent edition is purchased from Proquest in print format, and available at the Libraries, including at the Bronfman Business Library, Reference Room, Call No. HA 202 A3 2021

For archival issues, check online at the web site of the
U.S, Census Bureau
Economic Census (Businesses)
This source provides basic data for U.S. business establishments. A major survey is conducted every five years, with access to smaller annual surveys and yearly business patterns. Searches may be performed via industry, geographic area, subject, and more!
Data.gov
"The purpose of Data.gov is to increase public access to high value, machine readable datasets generated by the Executive Branch of the (U.S.) Federal Government."
Bureau of Labor Statistics (Labour)
Use this resource to track employment, wages, benefits, unions, workplace injuries and so on.
CIA World Factbook
The World Factbook provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 266 world entities.
U.S. Federal Reserve (Banking)
This agency is involved with the banking, and the monetary system in the United States. Statistical data includes money, exchange, household finance, and much more.

International Statistical Agencies

The following resources provide international statistics.

UNData
This index provides a compilation of almost 30 United Nations and agency databases in search function. Resources come from over 60 million data points from a wide variety of subjects.
World Bank - Open Data
"The Data Catalog provides download access to over 7,000 indicators from World Bank data sets."
OECD iLibrary
Statistics on agriculture, banking, trade, commerce, energy, migration and more.
IHS Markit Connect (formerly DataInsight Web)
This database provides access to time series from numerous DRI-WEFA databanks covering economic, financial, and demographic statistics. Geographic coverage, date range, and periodicity vary by series and databank, with some series dating back to the 1920s. If accessing off-campus, you'll need to turn on York's VPN before accessing this database. Once in the database, hover over the Data Browser tab on the upper-left corner and select category to search.
World Development Indicators
World Development Indicators (WDI) is the World Bank's annual compilation of data about development. WDI includes over 900 indicators covering a wide range of topics, with time series for 226 countries and country groups from 1960 to the present, where data are available.
International Statistical Agencies