Statistics: Economics

For the very latest information on the UK interest rates and inflation the Bank of England website is invaluable. Other financial data is also available as well as full text publications on surveys and working papers.

The ECB is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro. The ECB’s main task is to maintain the euro's purchasing power and thus price stability in the euro area. The euro area comprises the 18 European Union countries that have introduced the euro since 1999. The main purpose of European Central Bank (ECB) statistics is to support the monetary policy of the ECB and other tasks of the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). In compiling statistics, the ECB is assisted by the national central banks, or NCBs. A wide range of statistics are available as interactive charts or downloadable datasets.

The IMF promotes international monetary cooperation and exchange rate stability, facilitates the balanced growth of international trade, and provides resources to help members in balance of payments difficulties or to assist with poverty reduction. The IMF has 188 member countries. It is a specialized agency of the United Nations but has its own charter, governing structure, and finances. Its members are represented through a quota system broadly based on their relative size in the global economy. This work is backed by IMF research and statistics. Of particular use is their World Economic Outlook Database. Usually published twice a year the focus is on the analysis and projections of global economic developments in the short and medium terms. A useful comparative resource where statistics on a range of countries can be contrasted side by side.

OECD is a forum in which governments can work together to promote policies that will improve the economic and social well-being of people around the world. Two publications that are immense sources of economic statistics are: OECD Economic Outlook a bi-annual assessment of economic trends, policies and prospects in OECD and non-member countries the Outlook includes articles as well as figures, tables, charts and short-term projections, and looks at developments on a country-by-country basis. Also the OECD Economic Surveys; these are presented as country reviews containing comprehensive analysis of developments in the subject country, along with individual chapters covering key economic challenges being faced and recommendations for dealing with the challenges. The member country reviews are updated every 18 months, whilst non-member reviews are done on an ad-hoc basis. Both are available for subscribers to download or alternatively free to read online from the OECD website.

Also known as the ‘Blue Book’ this annual ONS publication contains data on domestic and national output, income and expenditure, and includes a sector-by-sector analysis. Figures often cover ten years or more and an alphabetical index is provided. Best accessed through the Publications Hub if the whole publication is to be viewed.

The World Bank is a vital source of financial and technical assistance to developing countries around the world. They are not a bank in the ordinary sense but a unique partnership to reduce poverty and support development. The World Bank Group comprises five institutions managed by their member countries. They collate and produce a broad range of data pertinent to the global economy accessible through their Databank. The data is searchable via topic, indicator or country. Topics covered include: health, education, social development, environment, poverty, infrastructure, aid effectiveness, external debt and science & technology.
Genderstats, a database of statistics on gender equality, is also available from The World Bank (http://datatopics.worldbank.org/gender/)