International Financial Statistics (IFS)
(Link works on the Carleton campus only)
The principle data set of the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Carleton now subscribes to the electronic version, but it is best used in concert with the print version, which is available in the library (in the monthly and yearbook issues).
Good for: Macroeconomic, international and domestic financial data for IMF member countries.
Keep in mind: Data are collected from member countries and may not be comparable. See the Penn World Tables as an alternative source.
Variables include: exchange rates, international liquidity, international banking, money supplies, interest rates, price levels, international trade, government accounts, GDP and its major components.
Frequency: Monthly, quarterly, and annually.
Time period: 1948 to present.
Documentation: See the information at the front of each volume for variable descriptions.