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Statistical Sources

Statistics provide the concrete data that make official publications so powerful. Below, we describe some of the statistical sources available at Nuffield, plus the best websites for both UK and European statistics.

Statistics Held at Nuffield UK Statistics on the Web EU Statistics on the Web

Statistics Held at Nuffield

Nuffield College Library - and the extension in particular - is rich in material that contains official statistics for both the EU and UK. Below is an alphabetical list of some of the relevant journals held by Nuffield, all shelved in the extension.


Source: Annual Abstract of Statistics; Monthly Digest of Statistics
Shelfmark: X Per A; X Per M
Description: Published by the Office for National Statistics, the Annual Abstract is regularly updated by the Monthly Digest. Both contain statistics on the United Kingdom's economy, industry, society and demography presented in clear tables and backed up with explanatory notes and definitions. It is compiled from 100 sources and has more than 10,000 series.

Source: Economic & Labour Market Review
Shelfmark: X Per E
Description: Economic & Labour Market Review is published by the Office for National Statistics and was created by the recent merger of Economic Trends and Labour Market Trends. This independent, cohesive view of the state of the economy, including the labour market, gives an insight into how the statistics behind the analysis are produced and interpreted.

Source: Eurostat Yearbook; Eurostat Regional Yearbook
Shelfmark: X Euro STAT 01 (for both)
Description: These two annual journals are published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities. The Eurostat Yearbook covers all major statistical domains at a European level, following common statistical concepts, methods and standards. The Regional Yearbook uses statistics to examine how particular European Union countries are developing.

Source: Main Economic Indicators
Shelfmark: X OECD Per M
Description: Published monthly by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Main Economic Indicators provides a wide range of indicators on recent economic developments in the 30 OECD countries and 6 non-member countries. Statistics are presented by subject, using comparative data, and by country, using detailed statistical series. In order to freely access the link above, Oxford users must be on the university network. Put "Main Economic Indicators" in the search box to retrieve results.

Source: Monthly Bulletin of Statistics
Shelfmark: X UN Per M
Description: Nuffield's collection of the United Nations' Monthly Bulletin of Statistics begins with the first volume, published in 1947. This journal consists almost entirely of data used to analyse most of the countries and territories of the world. It also examines important economic trends and developments.

Source: OECD Economic Surveys
Shelfmark: X OECD EC _________ (country name)
Description: The OECD regularly issues these studies of each of its member countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Korea, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States). The surveys combine statistics with in-depth analysis to provide a portrait of each country's economic situation. In order to freely access the link above, Oxford users must be on the university network. Put "Economic Survey" plus the name of the relevant country in the search box to retrieve results.

Source: Population Trends
Shelfmark: X Per P
Description: Population Trends contains commentary on the latest findings of the Office for National Statistics. It includes topical articles on subjects such as one parent families, cohabitation, fertility differences, international demography, population estimates and projections for different groups. Published quarterly, it demonstrates trends through colour charts, diagrams, statistical tables and graphs.

Source: Regional Trends
Shelfmark: X Per R
Description: Published annually by the Office for National Statistics, Regional Trends is a comprehensive source of official statistics for the Statistical Regions of the United Kingdom. It includes a wide range of demographic, social, industrial and economic statistics, covering all aspects of life in the regions.

Source: World Economic and Social Survey
Shelfmark: X UN Per W
Description: Published by United Nations, each annual issue focusses on a particular topic. It provides objective analysis of pressing long-term social and economic development issues, and discusses the positive and negative impact of corresponding policies. The analyses are supported by analytical research and data included in the annex.

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UK Statistics on the Web

These are some of the most authoritative websites for UK statistics.


The Office for National Statistics is the official website for UK statistics. All aspects of British life are covered, divided into 12 themes: Agriculture, fishing and forestry; Commerce, energy and industry; Crime and justice; Economy; Education and training; Health and care; Labour market; Natural and built environment; Population and migration; Public Sector and Other; Social and welfare; Transport, travel and tourism.

The National Digital Archive of Datasets preserves and provides access to archived digital datasets and documents from UK central government departments. The collection spans 40 years of recent history, with the earliest available dataset dating back to 1963.

Nomis uses data from government sources to provide official labour market statistics and related population data for local areas. It collates the latest published figures and time series data, in some cases back to the 1970s.

The Bank of England compiles and publishes a range of monetary and financial statistics. These include domestic banking statistics, external finance statistics and international banking statistics.

The Higher Education Statistics Agency exists to provide a system of data collection, analysis, and dissemination in relation to higher education in the whole of the United Kingdom. Statistics can be found in online tables and a variety of publications.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs collects and publishes economic and statistical information divided into the following subject areas: Farm management; Food and prices; Land management & environment; Land use and livestock.

The Department of Health features statistics on healthcare, workforce, public health and social care. These statistics are collected and used by the government for decisions regarding health and social care.

The Department for Work and Pensions publishes a variety of labour statistics. Their website now releases many of their National Statistics via a Tabulation Tool that allows the user to define their own bespoke analyses.

UK Trade Info provides complete, authoritative and up to date information on UK imports and exports. As part of HM Revenue & Customs, they focus on trade statistics business.

The Treasury offers a large amount of economic data and tools, including latest economic indicators and statistics on public finance and spending.

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EU Statistics on the Web

These are some of the most authoritative websites for European Union statistics.


Eurostat is the European Union's statistical office, providing direct access to the latest and most complete statistical information available on the European Union, the EU Member States, the euro-zone and other countries. Access to all its databases and electronic publications is provided free of charge.

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work collects occupational safety and health statistics and surveys. The Agency’s statistical reports cover areas such as accidents at work, demographic trends and work-related diseases.

Eurydice is the information network on education in Europe. Their publications may be broadly divided into descriptions of national education systems, comparative studies devoted to specific topics, and indicators and statistics. Their database, Eurybase, is a unique and highly detailed source of statistics on education systems covered by the Eurydice Network. It can be accessed by a contents page, country or keyword.

European Central Bank is the central bank for Europe's single currency, the euro. Statistics are collected on: Money, banking and financial market statistics; Balance of payments and other external statistics; Euro area accounts; government finance statistics; HICP, other prices, costs, output and the labour markets; Experimental data. Data can be explored in its Statistical Data Warehouse.

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Last Modified Tuesday, 06 September 2011.   © Copyright Nuffield College.