Highlighted resource: IPUMS
The IPUMS project, based at the University of Minnesota, provides harmonized census & survey data from around the world. IPUMS stands for Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. Access to IPUMS requires setup of a free account.
IPUMS international datasets
- IPUMS International. Provides access to harmonized census data from 85 countries.
- IPUMS DHS. Provides access to Demographic and Health Surveys, administered in low- and middle-income countries since the 1980s.
Additional sources of international microdata:
- ICPSR. Archive is particularly strong for the US but contains data for many countries. Access requires creation of an account using your U of T email address. You must be at an on-campus computer when you first register for your account (or utorvpn); after the account is set up you can access ICPSR from anywhere.
- Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) (OECD). The PISA database contains the full set of responses from individual students, school principals and parents. Conducted every 3 years beginning in 2000.
- Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program (USAID). Data on population, health, HIV, and nutrition from more than 400 surveys in over 90 countries.
- World Bank Microdata Library. Facilitates access to data collected through census, sample surveys of households or businesses, or administrative data collection processes.
- International Household Survey Network. The IHSN is an informal network of international agencies. Its catalog provides searchable metadata from thousands of surveys and censuses conducted in low- and middle-income countries. In many cases links are provided to download microdata online.
- International Social Survey Programme. The International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) is a continuing annual programme of cross-national collaboration on surveys covering topics important for social science research.
- World Values Survey (WVS). The World Values Survey is a global network of social scientists studying changing values and their impact on social and political life.
- Global Barometer Surveys (GBS). GBS is the first comprehensive effort to measure, at a mass level, the current social, political, and economic atmosphere around the world. Data can be accessed by submitting a request on their website.
- World Bank Enterprise Surveys. Enterprise Surveys offers an expansive array of economic data on 131,000 firms in 139 countries.
- Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) (UNICEF). Data on key indicators on the wellbeing of children and women. Access must be requested and approved (no fee, turnaround within a few days).
- World Health Organization (WHO), Multi-Country Studies Data Archive. Includes Study on Global Aging and Adult Health (SAGE) & related studies, World Health Study (WHS), and Multi-Country Survey Study on Health and Responsiveness (MCSS). Requires an online application to access.
- World Health Organization (WHO), Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD) Microdata Repository. Includes STEP (household survey of NCD risk factors), Global School-based Student Health Survey, Global Adult Tobacco Survey, and Global Youth Tobacco Survey.
- CESSDA Data Catalogue. Metadata catalogue for social science research data in many European countries. Links out to national data repositories for data access.
- UK Data Service (includes the UK Data Archive collection). The UK's largest collection of social, economic and population data.
- Australian Data Archive (Australian National University). National service for collection and preservation of digital research data.
- Indian National Data Archive. Microdata from surveys and censuses conducted by the Indian government.
- Search for the statistical agency for the country you are interested in; check their website for information about data availability
- Map & Data Library microdata search