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YRL Reference & Instructional Services: Government Information

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Content developed by Scott Martin; edited by Jan Goldsmith, Kris Kasianovitz

Finding Government Statistics

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Finding government statistics can be a challenging process, requiring unique search strategies. As with any reference question, when in doubt ask for assistance at the YRL Reference Desk. Reference staff can assist you with most statistical searches or refer you to a specialist within the department. The vast majority of statistical publications are produced by governments, so this guide will cover most of your statistical needs. See Step 5 for some tips on expanding your search to cover non-government statistics.

Overview

Step 1) Define the Parameters

Define exactly what numbers you need. It sometimes helps to actually draw a sample portion of the table you expect to find. What are the labels on the columns and rows? What type of numbers do you expect to see in the middle? Statistics can be defined by the following parameters:

 
Subjects: The things you want to count. Be as specific as possible, including whether you want tables cross-tabulated by sex, age, race, or some other subject. Also, decide whether you need your subject broken down into specific categories. For example, if you want to find Race data, what racial categories do you want to use? See Step 2 below for examples of typical subjects available. "
 
Time: What time period should the statistics cover? Are you looking for data over time? The most recent year? It is important to remember there is usually a lag between data collection and publication. For example, the Census is conducted every tenth year, but the data is released 3-5 years later after it's compiled. In many cases up-to-the-minute statistics are not available. Also note that most government statistics provide snapshots, not historical time series, so you may have to look in multiple volumes to get data over time. "
 
Geography: What geographic area do you want the statistics to cover? Typical geographic areas include nations, states/provinces, regions, metropolitan areas, counties, and cities. Statistics for small areas (neighborhoods, zip codes, or census tracts) present unique challenges - see Statistics for Community Analysis. "
 
Format: This is most important for data since the 1990's, which is often available in both digital and paper formats. Before that time paper is typically the only option, while for anything in the last year or two digital formats predominate. Do you want raw data or aggregate data?
 
Availability:Keep in mind that sometimes the statistics or data that are being requested may not be collected and published in the way that person wants, for example, there are a number of demographic, economic, and social characteristics collected by the Census; but they do not necessarily cross tabulate the exact variables. Using raw data one would be able to do this.

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Step2) Consult Likely High-Use Sources

Many statistical questions can be answered by consulting a few major sources listed below by category. These are especially good if you aren't sure what variables you want and need to review what's available.

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Compilations

These sources gather statistics from many places, and thus have a broad range of topics available. Most also list the original sources and thus serve a secondary purpose as statistical indexes - if you finds a table that's close to your needs but not quite exact, you can usually track the data back to the original, and hopefully more detailed, source.

 
Statistical Abstract of the United States.The primary place to look for statistics of almost any kind about the U.S. and the states. Very limited coverage at the county or city levels. Most tables cover a few years of time.
 
County and City Data Book.This source violates the "variable-orientation" of most government statistics and gathers a whole lot of variables about a single county or city in one place. It's only published every five or six years (the latest is 2000), but is updated annually by a privately-published version.
  • online, latest http://www.census.gov/statab/www/ccdb.html
  • print volumes, 1949- present YRL Reference Reading Room HA 202 A212
  • latest at Reference Desk
  • County and City Extra 1992- present YRL Stacks HA 202 A213, latest years at Reference Desk
 
Historical Statistics of the United States, Colonial Times to 1970. Best source for time series data about the entire country. Also extremely well annotated, providing an excellent index and guide to historical statistical sources.
  • YRL Reference Desk HA 205 A47 1975
 
California Statistical Abstract.The California version of the U.S. Statistical Abstract, with tables for the state and its counties. You can also find similar volumes for other states on the surrounding shelves (alphabetical order by state).
 
Census Bureau Home Page. Census data covers a vast number of topics. Use the alphabetical index in the upper left corner.

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International Compilations

These are similar to the compilations above, but cover all the nations in the world. Note that these titles rarely have online versions - most international agencies like to sell their publications.

 
World Development Indicators. CD-ROM title.
  • latest YRL Reference CD Stations
  • 1999- second latest YRL Stacks HC 59.69 W682
 
U.N. Demographic Yearbook. Nation-level statistics for demographics.
  • print volumes, 1948- present YRL Reference Reading Room HB 881 D39
  • latest at Reference Desk
 
U.N. Statistical Yearbook. Nation-level statistics for economics.
  • print volumes, 1948- present YRL Reference Reading Room HC 59 A19,
  • latest at Reference Desk
 
Statistical Abstract of Latin America.
  • YRL Reference Reading Room HA 931 A19
 
[Individual national statistical yearbooks]. Most countries put out an equivalent of the U.S. Statistical Abstract. Print copies can be found using the UCLA Library Catalog, but since titles vary it's often easiest just to look on the shelves in the YRL Reference Reading Room between HA 741 and HA 4736. The call number sequence is organized by region, beginning with North America, followed by Central America, the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Oceania. Older volumes are shelved by the same call numbers in the YRL Stacks.

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Demographics

Population counts and general characteristics like race, age, and sex. They often also include socioeconomic information about individuals and families.

 
[Decennial Censuses]. The most comprehensive source of U.S. demographic data, including extremely detailed geographic breakdowns. For the last few decades, see
  • Guide to 2000 Census Data
  • Guide to 1990 Census Data
  • For earlier years, most of the data is in paper. Look at the volumes and their tables of contents to see what's available. YRL Reference Reading Room, Decennial Census Publications [HA 202 year]
 
Current Population Reports. The CPRs are a collection of numbered series based on the Census Bureau's annual Current Population Survey. They provide counts, estimates, and projections for years between the decennial censuses, but with far fewer variables and for much larger geographic areas (usually states or regions, rarely counties or metropolitan areas).

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Housing

Unit counts, housing costs, tenancy, vacancies, types of housing, housing features. Note that many detailed housing statistics are also covered by the decennial census, which is technically called the Census of Population and Housing. In digital census materials the population and housing statistics are combined, but in paper products the housing reports are usually printed (and shelved) separately. Use the UCLA Library Catalog to find these volumes.

 
American Housing Survey. National data is collected every other year, and data for each of 46 selected Metropolitan Areas are collected about every four years. RIS keeps the most recent national summary and the most recent volume for each metropolitan area; older volumes are in the stacks. You can find the individual volumes in the UCLA Library Catalog, but it's often easier to just scan the shelves.

Vital Statistics

Births and deaths. These used to be counted as part of the decennial census, but since 1938 there's been a separate annual report. Note that print volumes are woefully out of date, and even the electronic sources tend to be three to four years behind.

 
Vital Statistics of the United States. Annual report

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Economics - Businesses

Number and type of businesses, number of employees, payroll, sales, and profits. Businesses are typically categorized by industrial classification codes. Until 1997, most sources used the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. After that, they switched to the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS). The Census Bureau Home Page (see above) has a "bridge" showing the relationships between the two. Note also that sales statistics are available only for types of business, not for types of products.

 
County Business Patterns. Quick and dirty, easy-to-use business statistics by county. Note that the online version is easy but extremely limited. Hardcore data users will need to use the CD-ROMs.
 
Zip Code Business Patterns. Same as CBP, but for zip codes. Same comparison between online and CD versions. There is no print.
 
Economic Censuses. When County Business Patterns just isn't enough. The economic censuses are done every five years and are published under the individual titles: Census of Manufactures, Census of Retail Trade, Census of Governments, etc. Note that the software on the CDs is notoriously difficult to use.
  • online, 1992- present http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/econ97.html
  • CD-ROM, 1987-1997 YRL Reference CD Stations print volumes, 1982, 1987, and 1992 look for the big sets in the HD's
  • print volumes, ~1940-1977 YRL Stacks: search the UCLA Library Catalog by keyword, ex. census manufactures 1972
  • print volumes, earliest part of the decennial censuses

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Labor

Employment, unemployment, hours, wages. Labor statistics can be categorized by industry (usually using the SIC or NAICS systems, see above) or by occupation. Some employment figures can also be found in the decennial censuses. Also check the shelves around the sources listed below - most of the good labor sources cluster by call number. Note that while the BLS does have statistics on the web, they have little relation to the print resources and are badly organized.

 
Employment and Earnings.
  • 1928- present RIS Reading Room HD 5723 A216
 
Bureau of Labor Statistics Home Page.

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Prices and Consumer Expenditures

Consumer and producer prices, household and family expenditures.

CPI Detailed Report.Consumer prices.
 
PPI Detailed Report. Producer prices.
 
Consumer Expenditure Survey (CEX).

U.S. Foreign Trade

Counts, weights, and values of exports and imports. All products are categorized by Harmonized Schedule/Schedule B codes (see below).

USA Trade.
  • Oct 1998 - current YRL Reference CD Stations
 
National Trade Data Bank.
  • Oct 1990 - Sep 1998 SRLF, see the UCLA Library Catalog
 
FTD - Statistics.
 
U.S. Exports History and U.S. Imports History. Annual statistics, each disc covers 5 years. These are extermely exhaustive, covering the most detailed product categories and including statistics by customs district.
  • 1989- present YRL Reference CD Stations
 
U.S. Exports of Merchandies and U.S. Imports of Merchandise. As above but with monthly statistics. Each disc also includes year-to-date.
  • few years ago - present YRL Reference CD Stations
  • April 1990 - few years ago SRLF, see the UCLA Library Catalog.

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International Trade and Finance

Overall exports and imports, commodity prices, interest rates, exchange rates, investments, national accounts, balance of payments. For basic figures like GDP or manufacturing/resource production, see the International Compliations above. Also check the shelves around the printed sources listed below - most of the good trade sources cluster by call number.

International Trade Statistics Yearbook. Groups statistics by country. Includes trade for specific commodities.
  • 1950- present YRL Stacks HF 91 U57
  • latest in YRL Reference Reading Room
 
International Financial Statistics Yearbook. Both world tables (by variable) and country tables. Also has a monthly version.
  • 1961- present YRL Stacks HG 3881 I62
  • latest in YRL Reference Reading Room

Crime and Justice

Crimes reported, arrests, convictions, prison populations. Also check the shelves around the printed sources listed below - most of the good crime sources cluster by call number.

Uniform Crime Reports. Crime statistics for every county and city in the country.
  • online, 1995- present http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm
  • print volumes, 1920- present YRL Stacks HV 6787 U58u
  • latest in RIS Reading Room
 
Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics.
  • online, 1994- present http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pubalp2.htm#sd
  • CD-ROM, 1994- present YRL Stacks HV 7245 S68
  • print volumes, 1994- present YRL Stacks HV 6787 S72 or SRLF, consult the UCLA Library Catalog to locate specific years
 
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Year in Review. Continues a bewildering series of previous titles, consult the UCLA Library Catalog for older issues.
  • 1991- present RIS Reading Room HV 7571 C34L6
 
Los Angeles Police Department Statistical Digest.
  • online, 1997- present http://www.lapdonline.org/ (look under "Crime Statistics")
  • print volumes, 1987- present RIS Reading Room HV 7254 L7L68a
  • print volumes, 1956-1987 YRL Stacks HV 7254 L7L68a

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Education

National Center for Education Statistics.
 
Education Statistics at a Glance
  • Includes current editions of the Condition of Education, Digest of Education Statistics ,Projections of Education Statistics, Indicators of School Crime and Safety, and Youth Indicators. http://nces.ed.gov/edstats
 
Digest of Education Statistics.
  • online, 1996- present http://nces.ed.gov/edstats
  • print volumes, 1962- present YRL Stacks L 112 U58d, latest at RIS Desk, next two in RIS Reading Room

Health

Most printed statistical publications for health are housed at the UCLA Biomedical Library. Below are a few of the major online resources.

National Center for Health Statistics.
 
CDC Wonder Provides a single point of access to a variety of Centers for Disease Control reports, recommendations, and numerous public health data and statistics.
 
Health Resources and Services Administration
 
Statistical Resources on the Web: Health (from University of Michigan)

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Transportation

Transportation statistics are primarily collected by the Transportation Department and it's various administrations and boards and the Census Bureau (i.e. journey to work data). For data on specific modes of transportation like air, water, ground, or for a topic like accidents, consult the appropriate transportation administration or use Lexis Nexis Statistical.

Bureau of Transportation Statistics Web Site
 
Transportation Statistics Annual Report (TSAR)
 
National Transportation Statistics.
  • online, 2000- present http://www.bts.gov/publications/nts/index.html
  • print volumes, 1994- present YRL Stacks HE202.5.T747
  • print volumes, 1979-1999 YRL Stacks HE203.T76a, latest in YRL Reference Reading Room print volumes
  • 1979-1990 SRLF, see the UCLA Library Catalog
  • microfiche ASI [Year] 7304-2
 
Highway Statistics.
  • online, current year http://purl.access.gpo.gov/GPO/LPS4717
  • print volumes, 1945-1998 YRL Reference Reading Room HE355.A3A2
  • print volumes, 1979-1999 YRL Stacks HE203.T76a
  • MGI Microfiche TD 2.110 TD 2.23:
 
National Transit Database.

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Step 3) Consult Lexis Nexis Statistical

There are two ways to search for information in Lexis Nexis Statistical:

Power Tables
  • Retrieve statistical tables (like those you would find in the Statistical Abstract) as well as links to the publication abstracts from the tables are derived.
  • Content:
    • 130,000 tables indexed annually; 200 Federal Agencies / 50 State Governments / 100 International Intergovernmental Organizations / 500 Private/Academic sources
    • Dates: 1997 to the present
 
Abstracts
  • Retrieve abstracts of articles, reports, and publications that include statistical data.
  • Dates: 1974 to the present
  • Abstracts include title, date, issuing agency, collation, periodicity. Large publications or publications within in a series are analyzed.
  • Tips:
    • Use the "Subject List" to search for your topic, rather than using just keywords
    • Use the "How Do I" section to help you with specific statistical searches, like budget, revenue, cost of living, crime, etc.
    • Look up titles in the UCLA Library Catalog, as we get a many on deposit.
    • Lexis Nexis Statistical consists of 3 indexes, ASI, IIS, and SRI. Use the accompanying microfiche sets to access publications that we do not have in print. *NOTE: ASI and IIS are located in the MGI Reading Room at YRL / SRI are located at the Management Library

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Step 4) Consult Statistical Guides

Statistical Resources on the Web (from University of Michigan Documents Center)
 
Finding Government Information Sources: Electronic and Print. 3rd Edition.
  • The Statistical Search, Chapters 28 thru 44, cover a variety of techniques for specific statistical questions.
  • YRL Reference Desk Core Z1223.Z7 S4 2001
 
Government Statistics from the Government Documents Roundtable
 
Google Unclesam

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Statistics the Government Does NOT Collect

For a significant number of users, you will discover that the specific statistics they want are not collected by the government. There's still a chance you'll find it in non-government sources, but be aware that non-government statistics are usually drawn from small samples, have little geographic detail, may be sporadic in time coverage, are often based on estimates of unknown accuracy, and may be of questionable objectivity. Some commonly found examples are:

Religion
  • Some older censuses (19th century) asked religious affiliation, and you can probably find statistics on numbers of churches. Other than that you'll need to rely on non-government sources.
 
Voting
  • A surprising number of users don't realize that the U.S. employs a secret ballot! The federal government has statistics on what votes were cast, plus demographic statistics about registered voters, but nothing that links the two. Consult exit polls.
 
Detailed Household Expenditures
  • The government tracks how much families spend on big categories like food, rent, and entertainment. They don't track how much families spends on meat, curtains, or home videos. Try industry statistical studies in Management or L.A. Public.
 
Product Sales
  • Unless it crosses the border (see U.S. Foreign Trade, above), the government keeps no records on the manufacture, transport, or sale of individual products. Again, try industry statistical studies.

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Step 5) Consult the Academic Literature & Referrals

Use journal articles to track down statistics or to find studies that have original data that is not collected by the government. Some suggested starting points:

You can always come to the Young Research Library Reference Desk for assistance. Also, the government information subject specialists are available for research consultations.

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Statistics Glossary

Government statistics often use a variety of terms in very specialized ways. Some things to watch out for:

Economic Statistics vs. Socio-economic Statistics:
  • Economic statistics refer to businesses. Socio-econoimc statistics refer to individuals, households, and families.
 
FIPS
  • FIPS codes (Federal Information Processing Standards) are used for a variety of things, but the ones most commony seen are the geographic codes for states, counties, and cities. For example, California is 06 and Los Angeles County is 037 (or 06037).
 
GDP vs. GNP:
  • Gross Domestic Product s a measure of all goods and services produced in the U.S. GNP is the same measure with allowances for depreciation, sales, and property tax. GDP is now usually used as the standard measure in the United States, whereas GNP was used in the past. GDP has always been the more commonly used number in international and foreign statistical sources.
 
NAICS vs. SIC
  • Traditionally, the U.S. government has classified all businesses using Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes. However, in 1997 they began using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). While there are often direct correspondences between the two code systems, that isn't always the case. For example, NAICS is far more detailed when it comes to service and information industries. You can find correspondence tables and definitions at http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naics.html
  • Both SIC and NAICS codes are hierarchical in nature. The first two digits represent a broad industry category, and each digit afterwards represents a sub-division. For example, 44-45 = Retail Trade, 445 = Food and Beverage Stores, 4452 = Specialty Food Stores, and 44523 = Fruit and Vegetable Markets.
 
Harmonized Tariff Schedule and Schedule B: Harmonized Schedule
  • (HS) codes are 6-digit codes used by all countries to define products for export and import. Each 2 digits represents a hierarchical level of classification. (Periods are often placed at certain points to make the numbers easier to read.)
  • For example, 01 = Live animals, 0103 = Cows, and 0102.10 = Purebred-breeding cows. Schedule B codes are four digit codes tacked onto the end of the 6-digit HS codes to provide more detail. Each country has its own Schedule B codes, so they're usually used only for exports. Continuing with the example above, 0102.10.0020 = Female dairy cows.
  • Canada, Mexico, and the United States are developing a new set of product codes called NAPCS (North American Product Classification System), but these have not yet been implemented in any statistical publications.
 
Occupation vs. Industry:
  • Occupation refers to the type of job an individual holds.
  • Industry refers to the type of business.
  • The two don't necessarily coincide. For example, a Computer Programmer may work for an Advertising Agency, and an Advertising Sales Agent may work for a Software Publisher.
  • Occupations can be classified by one of two systems, Census Industry and Occupational Classification System categories(which can vary from census to census) and Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) categories (developed by the Department of Labor). Though both of these systems are associated with code numbers, most statistical sources will actually write out the full occupation title so there's no need to know the codes.

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