Statistics

The United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) compiles, analyses and publishes global statistical information, develops technical cooperation programmes and international statistical activities, and assists Member States in improving their statistical services. UNSD is av subunit to Statistical Commission.

Statistics from the United Nations provides a picture of the state of the world and facilitates national and international policy formulation and implementation.

Find statistics from the United Nations

Statistics from the United Nations and its programs, funds and agencies are often used in both scholarly resources and in news reports. Here are some ways to find statistics from the United Nations:

1. UNdata includes data from a variety of UN sources.
2. What is the statistic about? Check the UN bodies or related organizations, for instance:
   • arms trade > UNROCA
   • children > UNICEF
   • crime, narcotics and drugs > dataUNODC
   • development > MDG indicators and SDGAtlas
   • disabilities > WHO
   • economic and financial indicators > IMF
   • energy > Energy statistics (UNSD)
   • environment > Environment (UNSD)
   • food production > FAO
   • gender issues > WomenWatch
   • health > Health and disability (UNSD) or WHO
   • industrial production > National accounts (UNSD)
   • labour and employment > ILO
   • older persons > DSPD (DESA)
   • peacekeeping > UNPKO
   • population > Demographic and Social Statistics (UNSD) and UNFPA
   • refugees and migration > UNHCR Figures at a glance and UNHCR Statistics
   • trade > Trade Statistics Branch (TSB), International Trade Statistics (ITC)
   • List of UN bodies and related organizations and UNCTADstat.
3. "Flagship reports", issued by the UN bodies, are the main information product of a UN agency. They are usually issued once a year, as annual reports or yearbooks, and have become web-based publications, with downloadable statistical annexes. Somtimes the statistical information is available as databases.
4. Other UN statistical resources.
   • UNSD Statistical Databases. UN Statistical databases with unrestricted access provided by the United Nations Statistics Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
   • List of other UN statistical resources. Provided by Dag Hammarskjöld Library (New York).
5. If the data is about a particular country, check the website of the UN country or regional office (often led by UNDP).
6. If your are looking for statistical data for a particular topic consult the list above and check out the websites of the UN funds, programs and specialized agencies.
7. Secondary sources: often the same statistic is highlighted in several news reports and one of them may have given citation to the source.

United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) publishes annual statistical reports, compendiums and handbooks. Statistical information is available as electronic publications and data files.

• The United Nations Statistical Yearbook contains a wide range of economic and social data from more than 200 countries.
• World Statistics Pocketbook is a condensed version of the Statistical Yearbook.
• Monthly Bulletin of Statistics. Current economic statistics from most of the countries and areas of the world with a selection of tables.
• Demographic Yearbook contains statistical tables on population size and composition, births, general mortality, nuptiality, marriage and divorce on an annual basis.
• Several reports provides statistics on women and gender issues:
  • The World's Women reports.
  • Human Development Report. Statistical data on gender issues.

• Energy Statistics Yearbook is a comprehensive collection of international energy statistics.
• Industrial Commodity Statistics Yearbook is an annual compilation of world industrial production.
• International Trade Statistics Yearbook presents detailed information on the external trade performance of 145 countries. Volume One contains data on individual countries, Volume Two provides tables analyzing trade in commodities by region and country.
• Statistical summaries and tables on specific subject areas are posted at the websites of the UN bodies, programs and funds.

• United Nations Digital Library offers UN documents and open access publications, UN voting data and speeches, UN maps, Content in 6+ languages. Replaces the traditional online catalogue UNBISnet.
• UN iLibrary UN publications online covering different topics.
• ODS full-text UN documents published from 1993 onward and scanned documents published between 1946 and 1993 in the official languages of the UN.
• Daily list of documents (ODS). Documents published for the day, with full text links, can be found in the United Nations full text database ODS.
• UNBIS Thesaurus a multilingual database of the controlled vocabulary used to describe UN documents.
• Index to proceedings is an annual bibliographic guide to the proceedings and documentation of the major UN organs. The index includes:
  • a list of all documents
  • a comprehensive subject index
  • an index to speeches
  • a voting chart of resolutions
• United Nations Documents Index (United Nations Digital Library) References to all documents by subject area are published. A collection of indexes is held by the Dag Hammarskjöld and Law Library, Uppsala, and the Libraries at UN Headquarters in New York and Geneva.