LibGuides: Data: Microdata

Microdata

Do you need microdata, i.e., a large dataset with individual observations on which you can run your own statistical analysis? You're in the right place!

World Bank Microdata Library
The Microdata Library facilitates access to data collected through sample surveys of households, business establishments or other facilities. These microdata sets may also originate from population, housing, or agricultural censuses or through an administrative data collection processes. The Library contains supporting documentation from censuses and surveys conducted or supported by the World Bank, as well as by other international organizations, statistical agencies, and other agencies in low and middle-income countries.
Current Population Survey
Primarily economic microdata about individuals and households in the United States. The prime dataset for researching wage discrimination and related topics.
American Community Survey Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS)
A sample of responses from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey.
Socioeconomic High-resolution Rural-Urban Geographic Platform for India (SHRUG)
A geographic platform that facilitates data sharing between researchers working on India. It is an open-access repository currently comprising dozens of datasets covering India’s 500,000 villages and 8,000 towns using a set of a common geographic identifiers that span 25 years.

ICPSR This link opens in a new window
The Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) maintains and provides access to the world's largest archive of raw data sets in the social sciences. Before downloading data, you will be prompted to create a MyData account. You must be on campus to create this account. As long as you log in to your MyData account from an on-campus computer at least every 6 months, you will also be able to download data while you are off campus.

National Center for Health Statistics
Maintained by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Includes both statistics and microdata.
American National Election Studies
Time-series data on voting behavior and political opinions back to 1948.
Center for Migration and Development
Data from several studies related to migration in the United States and Latin America.
Data.gov
Searchable catalog of data available from the U.S. federal government.
Data.gov.uk
A central repository of datasets from the United Kingdom.
General Social Survey
Survey data about the demographics, attitudes, and behaviors of Americans. Time-series data back to 1972 is available for some questions.
IPUMS
Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. A project of the Minnesota Population Center at the University of Minnesota, this site distributes microdata sets from historical and current censuses of both the U.S. and foreign countries, as well as other surveys. These data sets have been harmonized, so items from one survey can easily be compared to items on another survey.
IQSS Dataverse Network
The most comprehensive catalog of data sets in the United States.
DHS (Demographics and Health Surveys) Program
Surveys on health and health care conducted in 75 developing countries from 1984 to the present. Both statistics and raw data sets are available. Some data sets are available in GIS formats.
Odum Institute for Research in Social Science
Raw data from many historical public opinion polls, including several hundred state-level polls, Harris polls, and the Computer Assisted Panel Study.
Office of Population Research at Princeton University
Data sets from the Mexican Migration Project, Latin American Migration Project, American Fertility Surveys, National Longitudinal Survey of Freshmen, Texas Higher Education Opportunity Project, and more.
Pew Research Center: Data Sets
Distributes data from five of Pew's research centers: Pew Research Center for the People and the Press, Pew Internet and American Life Project, Pew Global Attitudes Project, and the Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends studies.
Comparative Agendas Project
1940s–present. Coded datasets of policy changes for 22 countries, two U.S. states, and the European Union. For the U.S., data is based on Congressional hearings, Congressional roll call votes, executive orders, State of the Union addresses, and more.
SDA Archive
SDA allows online analysis of various datasets, including the General Social Survey, the American National Election Study, the U.S. Census Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS), and a few others. This is a good option if you want a quick answer and don't want/need to download the entire dataset.
UK Data Archive
Several thousand data sets on a variety of topics, including crime, demographics, the economy, education, employment, the environment, health, religion, social indicators, and more. Historical and longitudinal data is also available. Much of the data was collected in the United Kingdom, although some international data sets are available. Registration is required; this registration is free for academic users.
USASpending.gov
Extremely detailed data on spending by the U.S. federal government. Includes data on contracts, grants, loans, and "other financial assistance." Both microdata and aggregate data are available.
Comparative U.S. Health Microdata
A brief, visual guide to sources of health microdata for the United States and variables included in each source. From Princeton University.

Roper iPoll This link opens in a new window
Provided by the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research at Cornell University, Roper iPoll is the largest collection of public opinion poll data with results from 1935 to the present. Roper iPoll contains nearly 800,000 questions and over 23,000 datasets from both U.S. and international polling firms. Surveys cover any number of topics including, social issues, politics, pop culture, international affairs, science, the environment, and much more. When available, results charts, demographic crosstabs and full datasets are provided for immediate download.

Food and Agriculture Microdata Catalogue
Produced by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), an agency within the United Nations. Includes data on agriculture, nutrition, forests, and fishing.