Popular Data Sets, Statistics, and Tools for Social Sciences Research
See the subtabs on the Statistics tab for data & statistics sources by topic.
- Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new windowThe authoritative and comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic conditions of the United States. If you don't know the number of the tables you need, browse the index section to locate your subject and the corresponding table numbers. For access to pre-2013 statistics, visit the Census Bureau's archive.
- Fedstats.govOne-stop shopping for statistical information from over 100 federal agencies. Statistics are arranged topically, geographically, and by agency.
- General Social Survey (GSS)A widely-used collection of survey data about the social & demographic characteristics of US residents. The National Opinion Research Center started administering the survey in 1972. The survey is currently administered every two years. Data is available for download.
- Social Sciences Data and StatisticsThe Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) maintains a data archive of more than 500,000 files of research in the social sciences. It hosts 16 specialized collections of data in education, aging, criminal justice, substance abuse, terrorism, and other fields.
- United Nations Statistics DivisionIncludes data on demographic, economic, and social issues gathered from national and international sources.
- United States Census BureauAccess the decennial United States Census and additional data collected by the Census Bureau. Tools for data discovery and analysis include:
• The American FactFinder - This interactive application provides statistics from the Economic Census, the American Community Survey, and the 2010 Census, among others.
• Easy Stats - Quick and easy access to selected statistics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau through the American Community Survey.
• Statistical Abstracts - A comprehensive summary of statistics on the social, political, and economic organization of the United States. First published in 1878, discontinued after 2012. - NationMaster.comCompare two countries based on variables and indicators within many broad categories. Sources of all statistics are cited.
