International Research

The full list of databases the Library subscribes to and those free resources recommended by subject experts is available from A-Z Databases list that can be searched by subject and type.

The subscription resources marked with a padlock are available to researchers on-site at the Library of Congress. If you are unable to visit the Library, you may be able to access these resources through your local public or academic library.

Country Information & Data
International Trade & Financial Data

Access China External This link opens in a new window
Provides geo-political analysis and economic forecasts, along with historical data, for every one of China's 31 provinces and annual reports for each of China's 40 most important prefectures. Each report contains information on the political, economic and business environment for each region, providing a complete picture of economic growth, changes in demographics and income and expenditure levels. Also includes quantitative assessments of 44 cities (including benchmarks against Beijing and Shanghai), allowing direct comparisons across cities on areas including the economy, market opportunities, labour, infrastructure and the environment. EIU provides five-year forecasts based on models to gauge the potential market size for products and services.
The simultaneous user limit for this resource may result in temporary delays.
Business Insights: Global External This link opens in a new window
Business Insights: Global presents business professionals, entrepreneurs, and the general business researcher with access to comprehensive international business intelligence, compiled into a logical, useable context.
- Professionals have access to detailed information on global businesses, comprehensive overviews on countries, interactive rankings and stats, and quick links to associated news, case studies and articles
- Entrepreneurs have the ability to compare multiple metrics, suggested metrics and inline article content allowing them to explore the broader context behind events and trends they perceive in economic data
- Business researchers will increase productivity by locating hard-to-find data, accomplishing tasks and meeting goals more quickly and easily with advanced search features and extensive deep links within search results.
China: Trade, Politics and Culture, 1793-1980 External This link opens in a new window
Contains materials covering all aspects of Chinese history during the two centuries of monumental social and political upheaval that ultimately recreated China into a modern power. Subject matter includes:
- Manuscripts encompassing events from the earliest English embassy to the birth and early years of the Peoples Republic.
- Key documents relating to the Chinese Maritime Customs service, from Robert Hart to Frederick Maze, alongside original reports of the Amherst and Macartney embassies.
- Letters relating to the first Opium War, survivors descriptions of the Boxer War, and glimpses of life in China from the collected diaries and personal photographs of the Bowra family.
- Sources describing the lives and work of missionaries in China from 1869-1970, including extensive and fully searchable runs of missionary periodicals.
- Over 400 colour paintings, maps and drawings by English and Chinese artists, as well as countless photographs, sketches and ephemeral items, depicting Chinese people, places, customs and events, and provides a striking visual accompaniment to the documentary images.
China Data Online External This link opens in a new window
Provides monthly and annual macroeconomic statistics, monthly reports on economic development, city and county data, and industrial sector data for China. Authorized by the National Bureau of Statistics of China , and distributed by the China Data Center at the University of Michigan.
The simultaneous user limit for this resource may result in temporary delays.
China Economy, Public Policy, and Security Database External This link opens in a new window
'Pishu' (皮书, which literally means cover-books ) are high-value analytical reports intended to guide policymaking in the Peoples Republic of China. Pishu are published by the prestigious Social Sciences Academic Press, a branch of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. These reports feature exclusive research and analysis by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and authors from similar institutions, and present objective analysis versus official government messaging on strategic issues. In China, Pishu are consumed by think tanks and top policymakers. Covered topics include a variety of issues of importance to China's government and research community, including international relations, agricultural policy, and industry competitiveness. Pishu may be considered somewhat analagous to United States Congressional Research Service reports and analysis reports published by the RAND Corporation.
China National Knowledge Infrastructure External This link opens in a new window
CNKI (China Academic Journals, China Academic Journals Bibliographic Database, and China Core Newspapers, China Reference Works Online) indexes and provides the full text to over 7,200 core Chinese and English journals, over 600 newspapers published in mainland China, and over 300 reference works from China's leading publishers. CNKI covers a broad range of subjects, including: agriculture economics education engineering history information science law literature medicine philosophy politics science and social sciences. CNKI includes the following databases and coverage dates: China Academic Journals (Citation & Abstracts, 1979- / Full Text, 1994- ) Century Journals Project (1989-1993) China Doctor/Master Dissertations Full-text Database (1999- ) China Core Newspapers (2000- ) China Reference Works Online.
Additional assistance is provided in the Asian Reading Room.
Columbia International Affairs Online External This link opens in a new window
CIAO contains theory and research on policy issues and current events in international affairs. Includes the full text of working papers from university and private research institutes, occasional papers series from NGOs, abstracts and some full-text of journal articles, books, policy briefs, case studies, foundation-funded research projects, and proceedings from conferences. Also contains links to selected Web pages, a listing of upcoming conferences in the field, country briefs and maps from the Central Intelligence Agency, and a citation guide. Updated biweekly.
EIU Viewpoint External This link opens in a new window
EIU Viewpoint is a new fully-integrated solution for content from the Economist Intelligence Unit. Viewpoint gives you more insight with analyst-curated macro Current themes, critical to understanding core issues in today’s changing world. Explore the new intuitive interface for fast, business-critical insights and use a state-of-the-art tool to find and chart the data series you need. The platform covers 203 geographies, providing you with precision tools to seize opportunities, weigh risks, monitor policy change and assess new markets. Content includes:
- Curated macro trends and major events intelligence
- Country-specific short, medium and long-term forecasts
- Industry data and analysis for 26 sectors
- Proprietary ratings on the business environment
- Supply and demand forecasts for 40 critical goods
EMIS Intelligence External This link opens in a new window
Collection of news and financial information for over 100 emerging market countries in Africa & the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, Central Asia (Caucasus) and Asia, and Latin America. Included are primary news sources (full-text), financial data (including reports on financial markets, companies and industries), over 1 million listed and private company profiles, statistics, macroeconomic forecasts and analysis, and legal and regulatory information. Arranged by country, ISI emerging markets also includes country profiles, exchange rates, and business and political news approximately 9,000 publications of data, research and news from unrivalled sources (from the Economist Intelligence Unit and ViewsWire, as well as other local and global sources).
The simultaneous user limit for this resource may result in temporary delays.
Europa World External This link opens in a new window
Online version of the Europa World Year Book (published since 1975). Europa World is a compendium of information on countries and international organizations, much of it in the form of statistical data and governmental and organization directories. Each country entry includes a map and flag, an overall profile, statistics (area, population, economy, industry, finance, trade, transport, communications media, education), and directories of government, politics, society and media, and business and commerce. Organizations includes government agencies, media outlets, businesses, and non-governmental organizations. The database is updated throughout the year, including the daily updating of Recent News on the home page.
The simultaneous user limit for this resource may result in temporary delays.
Factiva External This link opens in a new window
Factiva is a vast full text archive of publications and up-to-the-minute reports and news focusing on global developments and business. Combines over 35,000 sources from the Dow Jones Interactive and Reuters Business Briefing to provide premium business content from 200 countries and in 26 languages. Factiva is very strong in trade journals and company reports.
Requires username/password; see reference staff for assistance.
General OneFile External This link opens in a new window
General OneFile provides access to:
- More than 7,100 full-text titles and 3,600 refereed journals, and hundreds of newspapers
- More than 500 travel guides, including hundreds of Fodor's titles
- The full collection of National Public Radio programs from 1990 to the present, including searchable transcripts
- Full-text of the New York Times from 1985 to the present, updated daily
- The ability to translate articles into 11 different languages, helping ESL researchers
- More than 3,000 full-text titles recommended by Bowker's Magazines for Libraries and access to a range of additional new collections created to fill subject-specific curricular needs.
GlobalCapital External This link opens in a new window
GlobalCapital is a leading news, opinion and data service for people and institutions using and working in the international capital markets. It provides you with clearly-voiced, lively coverage of key markets based on the comments of those who work in them, together with a wealth of transaction data and archive material. Whether you wish to pick up the pulse of your market, to research in detail an issuer, intermediary or asset class in a particular sector, or to check out how your institution is performing relative to its peers, our service is for you.
GlobalCapital descends directly from EuroWeek (“the voice of the markets”), which has been covering new issues in primary markets for 26 years. Joining the platform are also several key capital markets publications from the Euromoney Institutional Investor Group: Asiamoney, Total Securitization and Derivatives Week. GlobalCapital also sees the introduction of a brand new service on the internationalisation of the RMB.

The combination of these elements on state-of-the-art new web technology provides a device-neutral, flexible global news and data service where relevant related articles and data are a click away.

This resource contains detailed information on Islamic finance markets and securities providing top news, company information, financial markets data, research reports, legal and current affairs, deal details and league tables. It includes a news archive and the Sukuk database which is a fully searchable database, focusing on the international deals in the Islamic market. The site also covers the Islamic financial market and the Shariah-compliant financial industry. It provides daily email alerts to keep users up-to-date with transactions and market developments.
IMF eLibrary External This link opens in a new window

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) eLibrary simplifies analysis and research with direct access to the IMFs periodicals, books, working papers and studies, and data and statistical tools. You will find information and perspective on macroeconomics, globalization, development, trade and aid, technical assistance, demographics, emerging markets, policy advice, poverty reduction, and so much more. Topics include: business and economics, education, law, medical, nature, political science, social science, and technology and engineering.
NK Pro External This link opens in a new window
This site aims to be a one-stop-shop on North Korea, bringing together news, opinion & analysis, research tools, data, and subject specialists in one convenient place. Built by North Korea specialists for professionals working on or with the subject, NK Pro brings together North Korea related news and analysis in the world and provides them in real-time from over 100 hand-selected sources daily. Users also have access to a range of regularly updated directories of organizations, companies, experts and practitioners working in this specialist field.
OECD iLibrary External This link opens in a new window

OECD iLibrary is the gateway to OECDs analysis and data. Contains all the publications and datasets released by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Energy Agency (IEA), Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), OECD Development Centre, PISA (Programme for International Student Assessement), and International Transport Forum (ITF) since 1998. Arranged under 19 thematic areas covering issues in agriculture and food, development, economics, education, employment, energy, environment, finance and investment, governance, industry and services, nuclear energy, science and technology, social issues, taxation, trade, transport, and urban, rural and regional development. Types of OECD publications include ebooks, papers, statistics, factbook and glossaries.
NOTE: To access SourceOECD Books, Papers, Statistics, Factbook, or Glossaries, please click on the appropriate tab.
Statista External This link opens in a new window
Statista is an online statistics, market research and business intelligence portal. It provides access to data from market and opinion research institutions, as well as from business organizations and government institutions in English, French, German and Spanish.
UNdata External This link opens in a new window

Search and download a variety of statistical resources compiled by the United Nations (UN) statistical system and other international agencies. The numerous databases or tables collectively known as "datamarts" contain over 60 million data points and cover a wide range of statistical themes including agriculture, crime, communication, development assistance, education, energy, environment, finance, gender, health, labour market, manufacturing, national accounts, population and migration, science and technology, tourism, transport and trade. In addition to the “datamarts” the site includes specialized databases external to UNdata, such as UNComtrade, SDG indicators, and MBS Online; popular statistical tables produced as part of the UN Statistical Yearbook publication; and statistical profiles of countries (areas) and regions produced as part of the World Statistics Pocketbook publication.
Universal Database of Russian/NIS Statistical Publications External This link opens in a new window
East View databases contain the full text of current and older issues of Russian and English language publications, reports, and data sets from statistical agencies of Russia and other countries in Commonwealth of Independent States. Includes Russian statistical publications, CIS Statistical Publications.
Uniworld External This link opens in a new window
Provides access to two multinational business contact directories, American Firms Operating in Foreign Countries and Foreign Firms Operating in the United States, which provide contact information for headquarters, branches, subsidiaries, and affiliates of multinational firms in over 100 countries and 1,200 industries. Data is updated daily, as corporate business changes occur.
As of Nov. 2015 you can search for American and Foreign Companies together in one search and also see their domestic and foreign subsidiaries.

Credo External This link opens in a new window
Access the full text of over 515 reference sources from over 50 publishers, including encyclopedias, dictionaries, thesauri, and books of quotations. Credo Reference also offers cross-references to other full text titles containing related information. Users can choose to search all reference works or specific subjects.
Includes: Encyclopedia of World Trade: From Ancient Times to the Present
Finaeon External This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive economic and financial time-series database covering 150 countries and 6,500 different data series. Includes data on bonds, commodities, interest rates, stock markets and indices, futures, exchange rates, GDP, prices, and unemployment. World exchange rates back to 1624, inflation rates back to 1748, and wholesale prices back to 1720. Major commodities going back to 1784. Some annual series go back to the 1200s. Methodology and sources are documented. The stock market indices go back to 1693. Also included are data on stock market capitalization, dividend yields, price/earnings ratios, total return performance indices, and Finaeon's World Stock Market Indices.
The simultaneous user limit for this resource may result in temporary delays.
IMF eLibrary External This link opens in a new window

The International Monetary Fund's (IMF) eLibrary simplifies analysis and research with direct access to the IMFs periodicals, books, working papers and studies, and data and statistical tools. You will find information and perspective on macroeconomics, globalization, development, trade and aid, technical assistance, demographics, emerging markets, policy advice, poverty reduction, and so much more. Topics include: business and economics, education, law, medical, nature, political science, social science, and technology and engineering.
IMF Data External This link opens in a new window

This is the standard source of international statistics on all aspects of international and domestic finance. For most countries, IMF Data reports balance of payments, international liquidity, money and banking, current data on exchange rates, interest rates, prices, production, international transactions, government accounts, national accounts, and population. Available datasets include: International Financial Statistics, Balance of Payments and International Investment Position, Consumer Price Index (CPI); Direction of Trade Statistics (DOTS); Financial Development Index; Government Finance Statistics; and more.
Europa World External This link opens in a new window
Online version of the Europa World Year Book (published since 1975). Europa World is a compendium of information on countries and international organizations, much of it in the form of statistical data and governmental and organization directories. Each country entry includes a map and flag, an overall profile, statistics (area, population, economy, industry, finance, trade, transport, communications media, education), and directories of government, politics, society and media, and business and commerce. Organizations includes government agencies, media outlets, businesses, and non-governmental organizations. The database is updated throughout the year, including the daily updating of Recent News on the home page.
The simultaneous user limit for this resource may result in temporary delays.
Market Analysis Tools External This link opens in a new window
Market Analysis Tools from the International Trade Centre (ITC) provides access to the following products:
Trade Map: an interactive database with time-series trade statistics, trends, and other useful trade indicators for more than 220 countries and territories that will help you prioritize export markets. .
Market Access Map: a web-based analysis tool containing information on custom tariffs, market access conditions and rules/certificates of origin requirements. Users can also simulate tariff reduction scenarios using various formulaes.
Investment Map: a comprehensive portal on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), international trade and market access. Information on activities of 130,000 foreign affiliates in developing countries is also available.
Trade Competitiveness Map: offers trade profiles for around 240 countries and territories. One of the key features is Trade Performance Index (TPI) ranking for a countrys key export sectors grouped into 14 clusters.
Standards Map: a user-friendly portal for comparative analysis and review of over 40 private voluntary standards. The tool aims to increase opportunities for sustainable production and trade.
For detailed descriptions about these tools, select About the Tools on the left side menu.
This database has three tiers of access:
- Light version that offers only half of the data with no registration
- Registered users get about 75% of the content
Trade Data Monitor (TDM) External This link opens in a new window
Trade Data Monitor is a database of international trade statistics, analysis, and reporting for data-driven answers to crucial questions in any industry, around the globe.
UN Comtrade External This link opens in a new window
The United Nations Commodity Statistics Trade Database provides data for over 140 reporting countries, in some cases, spanning the last 40 years. The database is the UN official source for imports, exports and re-exports, for 90% of world trade. Users can select countries, products, years and measurements (values are in US dollars and quantities in net weight). Commodities are arranged by both Harmonized System (HS) and Standard International Trade Classification (SITC). Also includes textual information on countries and customs areas. Updated monthly and annually.
This site also offers:
- International Trade Statistics Yearbook, current year
  https://comtradeplus.un.org/Publication/ITSY
- Historical international merchandise trade statistics 1900-1960
  http://unstats.un.org/unsd/trade/imts/historical_data.htm

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Business and Economics E-Resources

International Research

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