Economic Indicators
- Introduction
Basic Concepts- U.S. Current Data
- U.S. Historical Data
- International Current Data
- International Historical Data
- Guides
Economic indicators measure the health of a nation's economy. Most indicators are issued by the federal government, but some come from private organizations like the Conference Board. Indicators are published regularly in magazines, newspapers, and web sites. See one of the Guides for details.
Examples of economic indicators:
- Consumer Confidence Index
- Consumer Price Index (CPI)
- Durable Goods
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
- Housing Starts
- Producer Price Index (PPI)
The web sites and books listed below will help you find most indicators. If you can't find one, though, try:
-
consulting one of the Guides (you'll learn who produces a particular indicator);
-
searching Google for the name of the indicator;
-
or asking a librarian.
2. Basic Concepts
Actual Dollars
Not adjusted for cost of living index (commonly called inflation). In other words, the price of something at the time of purchase.
Constant Dollars
Adjusted for the cost of living index. A base period (ex. "2000 dollars") is used as the basis of the adjustment. This makes the figures comparable, although chained dollars are more accurate for a time series.
Chained Dollars
Allows for a comparison of data in a time series. Used to accurately indicate growth or decline in indicators. Technically: a chained dollar index is created from the geometric mean of two growth calculation.
Base Period
A specific time measurement (usually a year, but it could also be a month or day).
Time series
Data for more than one year is a row. Example: having the GDP for the last ten years.
Raw Value
Data given in units, like "dollars", "kilograms", "households", etc.
Index Value
Data adjusted to facilitate making a comparison. The numbers are presented relative to data from a base period (ex. data from 1982=100.00). The numbers look like percentages.
FRED II: Economic Data, Federal Reserve Bank
- Provides over 19,000 U.S. economic time series, which can be displayed as text, graphs, or a spreadsheet.
- See also ALFRED and FRASER (archival reports).
STAT-USA: State of the Nation
- Updated daily. Look in the "General Economic Indicators" section of State of the Nation for a dozen indicators.
- Newly-released indicators are listed near the top of the page.
GPO Access: Economic Indicators
- Published monthly by the U.S. Congress.
- Covers 36 indicators, providing at least 10 years of data, plus quarterly or monthly data for recent years.
- Older issues are available through library databases and in the library stacks (look up "Economic Indicators" in Journal Finder).
Census Economic Indicators
- Covers housing, industry, sales, trade, household income, poverty, and more.
- Dates of coverage vary.
Economic Statistics Briefing Room, White House
- Covers employment, income, international, money, output, prices, production, and transportation.
- Dates of coverage vary.
Bureau of Economic Analysis
- Part of the U.S. Commerce Department. Home of the GDP, based on the National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA).
- Provides current and historical data.
- The BEA's monthly Survey of Current Business also covers indicators.
Bureau of Labor Statistics
- Provides data on employment, wages, CPI, PPI, and more.
Many of the Current Data sources also provide historical data.
Historical Statistics of the United States
Reference HA202.H57 2006
- The most detailed source for historical indicators on population, work and welfare, economics, industries, and government.
- Covers 1790-1990.
FRED II: Economic Data, Federal Reserve Bank
- Provides over 19,000 U.S. economic time series, which can be displayed as text, graphs, or a spreadsheet.
- See also ALFRED and FRASER (archival reports).
Economic Indicators Handbook
Reference HC103.E26 2002
- Provides 226 statistical series.
- Conversions and documentation are also included.
- The time span at least 50 years of data; in some cases, the data covers the creation of the indicator through 2001.
Datapedia of the United States: American History in Numbers
Reference HA202.K87 2004
- An alternative to Historical Statistics of the United States.
- Covers 1790-2001.
Business Statistics of the United States
Reference HC101.A13122 2007
- Provides historical indicators (including monthly or quarterly figures) for the economy and industries.
When looking at non-U.S. economic indicators, confirm the currency used! Some sources will use the local currency. Comparative sources like World Development Indicators (see below) often present data in U.S. dollars. In those cases, note the date of the data, since currency exchange rates can change quickly.
World Development Indicators Online (WDI)
- Provides 550 indicators for over 200 countries and 18 county groups, from 1960 to one year ago.
- Covers social, economic, financial, natural resource, and environmental data.
- Results can be exported into Excel.
- From the World Bank.
- (The book version is available at Reference HC59.15 .W656.)
Economist Country Briefings
- "Country Profile" data is available for free.
- Includes a factsheet (basic data), forecast (political and economic outlook), economic data (ten economic indicators over four years), political structure, political forces, and economic structure.
- Data can be downloaded into Excel.
Source OECD
- Provides economic indicator publications and datasets from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
Europa World
- Provides the recent history, government, economics, and other topics for every country and territory in the world.
- It provides a statistical survey (covering area and population, agriculture, industries, finance, external trade, principal trading partners, transportation, and more) and a detailed directory (listing government offices, media sources, trade associations, and more).
Euromonitor Global Market Information Database
- Provides economic and marketing statistics for over 200 countries.
- Covers 1977 to 2020.
- Data can be downloaded into Excel.
United Nations Common Database
- Provides access to more than 300 statistical series on many topics.
- Dates vary by series; most begin in the 1970's.
International Financial Statistics Yearbook
Reference HG61.I57
- Published annually.
- Data is listed by country.
- Provides statistics for the last 30 years.
- From the IMF.
World Development Indicators Online (WDI)
- Provides 550 indicators for over 200 countries and 18 county groups, from 1960 to one year ago.
- Covers social, economic, financial, natural resource, and environmental data.
- Results can be exported into Excel.
- From the World Bank.
- (The book version is available at Reference HC59.15 .W656.)
Euromonitor Global Market Information Database
- Provides economic and marketing statistics for over 200 countries, from 1977 to 2020.
- Data can be downloaded into Excel.
Source OECD
- Provides the full text of economic indicator publications from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
UN Data
- Provides access to more than 300 statistical series on many topics. Dates vary by series; most begin in the 1970's.
- From the United Nations Statistics Division.
International Financial Statistics Yearbook
Reference HG61.I57
- Published annually.
- Data is listed by country.
- Provides statistics for the last 30 years.
- From the IMF.
One Hundred Years of Economic Statistics
Reference HC106.L68 1989
- Covers the U.K., U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Sweden, from around 1885 to 1987.
International Historical Statistics: Europe, 1750-2000
Reference HA1107. M5 2003
- Covers population, labor, industries, trade, finance, prices, and more.
International Historical Statistics: The Americas, 1750-2000
Reference HA175.M55 2003
- Covers population, labor, industries, trade, finance, prices, and more.
International Historical Statistics: Africa, Asia, & Oceania, 1750-2000
Reference HA4675.M55 2003
- Covers population, labor, industries, trade, finance, prices, and more.
What Are Economic Indicators? (Investopedia)
- Concise explanations of 11 indicators, with links to the source of each one.
Handbook of United States Economic and Financial Indicators
HC 106.8 O47 2000
- Explains 284 indicators in alphabetical order.
- This book also lists the source of each indicator (appendix B is the key to printed sources).
- Appendix A covers non-quantitative indicators like the Cost of Laughing Index.
Guide to Economic Indicators
HC103.F9 2006
- Describes 49 indicators in alphabetical order.
Economist Guide to Economic Indicators
HA29.E28 1997
- Takes a global view.
- Chapters are organized by broad topic.
- Look over the table of contents or use the index to find what you need.
