Research Guides: Human Rights: Data Sources

Introduction

If you are looking for data related to human rights issues there are three types of sources to look for: United Nations or other governing bodies; university projects; and non-profit advocacy groups. UN agencies -- such as the World Bank and World Health organization -- are very good at making their multitudes of data available to the public and are a great place to start your search. University research projects and non-profit advocacy groups are limited in scope, but are more likely to present novel collections -- either in the type of information collected or in the way the data is presented and used.

On this page you will find a by-no-means-comprehensive selection of source organizations and agencies.

UNData

Search across 34 UN agency and organizational databases for data and statistics here.

A selection of source organizations listed below. Full list here.

OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
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OECD iLibrary is the online portal for the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The iLibrary includes book collections, policy reports, statistical abstracts, and the OECD.Stat tool, with which users can create custom extracts from the OECD data warehouse.

The World Bank
World Development Indicators
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Human Development Reports
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
United Nations Population Division
Data related to demographics and reproduction
United Nations Statistics Division
Gender, demographic, and economic data
World Health Organization (WHO) Data

For information on how to find statistics from UN agencies not included in the UNData database see the Research Guide from the UN's Dag Hammerskjold Library here.

Data Planet

Sage Data This link opens in a new window
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Sage Data aggregates datasets sourced from reputable public and private organizations, such as OECD, China Data Online, the United Nations, and the U.S. Census. It covers topics across many subject areas, including education, population and income, industry, commerce, trade, housing and construction. Users can create custom extracts and download files in delimited, SAS, or shapefile formats.

ICPSR Bibliography of Data-Related Literature

The ICPSR Bibliography of Data-Related Literature is a continuously updated database that allows you to search for articles and other publications first, and then link directly to the datasets used by those articles.

Search the ICPSR here.

International Data

Center for Systemic Peace
Data related to international peace/conflict covering 1946-2014 in most cases and even earlier in some. Topics include armed conflict, state fragility, and regime authority and transitions.
CIRI Human Rights Data
"The CIRI Human Rights Dataset contains standards-based quantitative information on government respect for 15 internationally recognized human rights for 202 countries, annually from 1981-2011."
Comparative Welfare Entitlements Dataset (CWED)
This dataset "contains information about the structure and generosity of social insurance benefits in 33 countries around the world." Data available for 1970-2011.
Freedom House
Freedom House has released annual reports on the state of various human rights topics around the world since 2001. Excel datasets are provided for certain sets such as the "Freedom in the World" and "Freedom of the Press" reports.
GapMinder
GapMinder aggregates datasets from various agencies relevant to measure global progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals. Topics range from health to infrastructure to social conditions.
Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG)
The HRDAG publish reports on global human rights issues based on available data. They have recently begun publishing certain data sets used in their research to their website.
Minorities at Risk
"MAR tracks 284 politically active ethnic groups throughout the world from 1945-present." Data sets currently available: 2001-2003 and 2004-2006.
Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO)
Data related to the conditions for peaceful international relations, including small arms trading, armed conflict, and economic data.
SERF Index
This index by the Economic & Social Rights Empowerment Initiative measures The Social and Economic Rights Fulfillment (SERF) of countries party to the International Covenant for Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
The Correlates of War Project
An open-access database with datasets on international relations topics such as interstate disputes, membership in intergovernmental organizations, and international alliances.
The Quality of Government (QOG) Institute
The QOG Institute at University of Gothenburg studies good governance and corruption on a global scale. They have several datasets available to the public.
UNICEF Data
Data related to a wide range of issues affecting children in every country. Mid-1990s-present.
UK Data Service
UK Data Service is a source for social and economic data focused on the UK and Europe collected by a variety of organizations. Includes census data, longitudinal studies. and more.

United States Data

These data sources are useful for those studying human rights issues within the U.S.

If you are looking for other country-specific datasets, consider exploring NYU Libraries' Area Studies Research Guides. You may also consult government websites, non-profits and NGOs, and universities within the country of interest.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Datasets from the USDHS, including FEMA Public Assistance data and datasets from the U.S. Immigration and Citizenship Services. Also includes links to the Blue Campaign -- the Department of Homeland Security's campaign against human trafficking.
Mexican Migration Project
The Mexican Migration Project ( a project of Princeton University) provides data related to both documented and undocumented Mexican migrants to the U.S. 1982-present.
The National Agricultural Workers Survey
"The National Agricultural Workers Survey (NAWS) is an employment-based, random- sample survey of U.S. crop workers that collects demographic, employment, and health data in face-to-face interviews. The survey began in Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 1989; since then over 56,000 workers have been interviewed. The survey's findings are made available through periodic research reports and a NAWS public access data (NAWSPAD) file."
US Government Data
Data.gov is the home of the U.S. Government’s open data. You can find federal, state, and local data, tools, and resources to conduct research, build apps, design data visualizations, and more.

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This page was created with help from the following resources:

Human Rights Resources Guide
University of Connecticut
International & Human Rights Data
From Harvard Law School Library