Country Indicators for Foreign Policy (CIFP)
A database of over 100 political, economic, social, and cultural indicators for 196 countries drawn from open sources.
“The data set provides at-a-glance global overviews, issue-based perspectives and country performance measures. Currently, the data set includes measures of domestic armed conflict, governance and political instability, militarization, religious and ethnic diversity, demographic stress, economic performance, human development, environmental stress, and international linkages.” (quoted from the about page)
Time period: 1985-2000 for most variables.
Outputs: Interactive tables and maps can be viewed in your browser, and are supposed to be downloadable, but I have been unsuccessful thus far. I’ll comment when I figure it out.
Documentation: Indicator descriptions, Risk Assessment Indicator Definitions, Methodology, data descriptions and data sources.
Variables: See the indicator descriptions. The variables are organized into the following categories:
- History of armed conflict
- Governance and political instability
- Militarization
- Population heterogeneity
- Demographic stress
- Economic performance
- Human development
- Environmental stress
- International linkages
Note especially: Methodology reports are very useful for students trying to operationalize variables and design research projects.
Every indicator can be mapped with a single click on a global thematic map.
Sources: World Bank, UN Development Programme, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Minorities at Risk, POLITY IV.