If you're looking for a one-stop shop for public data, free data websites are the way to go. They offer a wide range of data that's free for anyone to use.
Some of these websites specialize in providing data on specific topics, such as health statistics, economic indicators, or demographic information.
For instance, the website Data.gov provides access to over 200,000 datasets from the US government.
Data Sources
You can find over 100 free data sources from reputable organizations around the world.
These sources are organized by category, making it easier to find the data you need quickly.
You may have some in-house data, but if not, the Internet is a great place to start your search.
A great data story starts with great data, which means it's comprehensive, complete, and credible.
You can use public data to create all sorts of content, from infographics to interactives.
The best free data sources come from all sorts of places, including interesting studies and the Internet.
Finding the right data can be a challenge, but this roundup aims to make your search a lot easier.
You can find over 100 free data sources from reputable organizations around the world, all in one place.
Government and Public Data
Data.gov is the first stage and acts as a portal to all sorts of amazing information on everything from climate to crime freely by the US Government. Data.gov.uk offers datasets from all UK central departments and a number of other public sector and local authorities.
The US Census Bureau provides government-informed statistics on the lives of US citizens including population, economy, education, geography, and more. The CIA World Factbook focuses on the history, government, population, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 countries.
Canada Open Data is a pilot project with many governmental and geospatial datasets, helping to explore how the government of Canada creates greater transparency, accountability, increases citizen engagement, and drives innovation and economic opportunities through open data.
National Center for Environmental Info
The National Center for Environmental Information is a treasure trove of data. It's the world's biggest selection of weather and climate data, including marine, satellite, weather balloon, and land-based data sets.
You can find data on everything from storm records to climate indices. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration provides quick links to all of this information.
Weather and climate data is crucial for understanding our planet's changes. This data helps us predict and prepare for extreme weather events.
The National Center for Environmental Information has a vast collection of data, including weather records published since 1927. These records include monthly mean values of pressure, temperature, precipitation, and station metadata notes.
This data is incredibly valuable for researchers, scientists, and anyone interested in the environment. It's all available for free, no registration required.
If you're interested in tracking weather patterns or understanding climate change, this is the place to start.
European Union Portal
The European Union Open Data Portal is a treasure trove of EU-focused social and economic data sets and statistics.
It's a considerable-sized resource, making it a great place to start your search for relevant data. The portal offers a wealth of information on various topics, including government, population, and social issues.
You can access all of this data for free, without needing to register or pay a fee. This makes it an excellent resource for researchers, students, and anyone looking to learn more about the EU.
CERN's Open Data Portal is another great resource, but it's focused specifically on particle physics data. If you're interested in that topic, it's definitely worth checking out.
Health Public Sets
The Global Health Observatory Data Repository is a treasure trove of health-related statistics from across the globe, compiled by the UN World Health Organization. It's a great resource for anyone looking to break into the healthcare industry, especially data scientists.
You can access the data for free, with no registration required, and preview data tables before downloading them. The repository covers a wide range of topics, from malaria to HIV/AIDS, antimicrobial resistance, and vaccination rates.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers public health data and statistics by topic, from alcohol use to viral hepatitis. You can also find information, data, statistics, and reports concerning international public health on the World Health Organization's website.
UNICEF gathers evidence on the situation of children and women around the world, with data sets including accurate, nationally representative data from household surveys and other sources. The World Health Organisation also provides statistics concerning nutrition, disease, and health in more than 150 countries.
HealthData.gov offers high-value health data for entrepreneurs, researchers, and policy makers, including data on Medicaid, Medicare, clinical studies, and treatments. You can also find health datasets from the UK National Health Service, including national comparative data for secondary uses.
The Global Health Observatory (GHO) provides global data sets and visualizations related to health and disease from the World Health Organization (WHO), searchable by health topic or country.
Crime
Crime data is widely available from various government sources. The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program has been the starting place for law enforcement executives, students, researchers, members of the media, and the public seeking information on crime in the US.
You can access decades of crime data at city, county, state, and national levels through the UCR Program. This data includes statistics on violent crime, such as murder, rape, robbery, and assault.
The FBI Crime Statistics provide statistical crime reports and publications detailing specific offenses and outlining trends to understand crime threats at both local and national levels. This information is crucial for law enforcement agencies and researchers to identify patterns and develop strategies to combat crime.
If you're looking for information on the U.S. Criminal Justice System, the Bureau of Justice Statistics is the go-to source. It provides data on arrest-related deaths, census of jail inmates, the national survey of DNA crime labs, surveys of law enforcement gang units, and more.
The National Sex Offender Search is a public safety resource that provides access to sex offender data nationwide. It presents the most up-to-date information as provided by each jurisdiction, allowing the public to stay informed and safe.
The National Archive of Criminal Justice Data offers original research based on archived data concerning criminal justice and criminology. This resource is valuable for researchers and students looking for in-depth information on crime and justice issues.
Labor/Employment
The Department of Labor closely watches measures of employment and unemployment, providing valuable insights into the job market.
The U.S. Small Business Administration offers employment data from a business owner's perspective, including economic indicators and projections.
Employment by the U.S. Census measures the state of the nation's workforce, including employment and unemployment levels, as well as weeks and hours worked.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics collects data on employment-related statistics across regions, states, and local areas, giving a comprehensive view of the labor market.
These government data sources can be incredibly useful for businesses, researchers, and anyone looking to stay informed about the job market.
NYC Taxi Trip
The NYC Taxi Trip data is a treasure trove of information, compiled by the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission since 2009. You can access this data for free, without needing to register.
This dataset covers a wide range of transport-related information, including pick-up and drop-off times and locations, trip distances, fares, and rate and payment types. It's fascinating to compare the figures from 2009 to the present day, especially within a small geographic area like New York City.
The site also provides additional tools, such as user guides, taxicab zone maps, data dictionaries, and annual industry reports. These resources are super helpful if you're new to data analytics.
Financial/Economic
The World Bank Open Data is a treasure trove of education statistics, covering everything from finances to service delivery indicators around the world. You can find detailed global trade data with visualizations in the UN Comtrade Database, which is a repository of official international trade statistics.
Google Finance offers real-time stock quotes and charts, financial news, currency conversions, or tracked portfolios. Google Public Data Explorer provides public data and forecasts from international organizations and academic institutions, displayed as line graphs, bar graphs, or on maps.
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis provides U.S. official macroeconomic and industry statistics, including reports about the gross domestic product (GDP) of the United States and its various units. The National Bureau of Economic Research offers macro data, industry data, productivity data, trade data, international finance data, and more.
You can find quarterly datasets of extracted information from exhibits to corporate financial reports filed with the Commission in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Financial Data Finder at OSU is a valuable resource that links to numerous financial websites, including the World Bank Open Data and Global Financial Data.
The IMF Economic Data is an incredibly useful source of information, covering global financial stability reports, regional economic reports, international financial statistics, exchange rates, directions of trade, and more. The World Bank Doing Business Database evaluates business environment indicators around the world, including trade capabilities and costs.
Global Financial Data covers over 60,000 companies across 300 years, providing a unique source to analyze the twists and turns of the global economy. The Federal Reserve Economic Database offers data on money, banking, macroeconomics, international and regional economics, and more.
Academic and Research Data
The UCI Machine Learning Repository is a great place to find machine learning data, with over 400 datasets covering a wide range of topics.
Launched thirty years ago by the University of California Irvine, the repository has a strong reputation among students, teachers, and researchers as the go-to place for machine learning data.
Datasets are clearly categorized by task, attribute, data type, and area of expertise, making it easy to find something suitable for your project.
UCI Machine Learning Repository
The UCI Machine Learning Repository is a treasure trove for machine learning enthusiasts. Launched thirty years ago by the University of California Irvine, it's a go-to place for students, teachers, and researchers alike.
Datasets are carefully categorized by task, attribute, data type, and area of expertise, making it easy to find something suitable for your project. This level of organization is a game-changer for anyone working on a machine learning project.
With a strong reputation among the academic community, the UCI repository is a must-visit destination for anyone seeking high-quality machine learning data. No registration is required to access the datasets, and they're all free to use.
Browse the repository's vast collection of datasets, and you'll find something that suits your needs. Whether you're working on classification, regression, or clustering, the UCI Machine Learning Repository has got you covered.
General/Academic
The General/Academic data sources are a treasure trove for researchers and students alike. One such source is UNData, a statistical database of all United Nations data.
For those interested in biology, chemistry, economics, and physiology, Amazon Public Data Sets is a great resource, featuring the Human Genome Project and more.
Pew Research offers public opinion polls, demographic research, content analysis, and other data-driven social science research. Google Scholar is a wide array of information, including articles, theses, books, abstracts, white papers, and court opinions.
FiveThirtyEight provides statistical analysis that tells compelling stories about elections, politics, sports, science, economics, and more. Datasets Subreddit is a community-driven platform that features a diverse range of datasets, from English grain prices of the 14th Century to U.S. homelessness rates.
Qlik DataMarket is a great place to find data related to economics, healthcare, food, agriculture, and the automotive industry. Enigma Public offers a broad collection of open data, curated for easy perusing.
Industry-Specific Data
If you're looking for data on the entertainment industry, you're in luck. The Million Song Dataset contains audio features and metadata for a million contemporary popular music tracks.
For movie enthusiasts, The Numbers offers detailed financial analysis, including box office, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, and release schedules.
The UK film industry is well-represented by BFI Film Forever, which provides research data and market intelligence.
IFPI offers global statistics about the recording industry, making it a valuable resource for music industry professionals.
Statista has a wealth of data on the video game, film, and music industries, covering everything from global gaming software expenditure to concert revenue.
You can also find historical and current music sales data with insight on how such numbers can be applied at Academic Rights Press.
If you're looking for data on the retail industry, Love the Sales offers free data for insights into the global retail industry.
For travel and transportation data, Monthly Tourism Statistics – U.S. Travelers Overseas provides a look at U.S. international air passenger statistics.
SkiftStats is another valuable resource, offering the latest statistics, research, and data about the travel industry.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics also provides transportation statistical data, research activities, and budgetary resources.
Drugs
The pharmaceutical industry relies heavily on accurate and up-to-date data to inform their decisions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration provides a wealth of information on drug approvals and databases, including therapeutic equivalence evaluations for approved multi-source prescription drug products.
The National Institute on Drug Abuse offers resources that cover a variety of drug-related issues, such as drug usage, emergency room data, and prevention and treatment programs. These resources are invaluable for researchers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime provides research, trend analysis, and forensics with global and regional data collections. This information is crucial for understanding the scope of the global drug problem.
Drug War Facts offers a thorough look at drugs and drug policy, applied to public health and criminal justice issues. This comprehensive resource is a must-have for anyone working in the field.
First Databank provides drug data and drug databases with the hope of inspiring change in the medication decision-making process. By providing accurate and reliable information, First Databank helps healthcare professionals make informed decisions.
Entertainment
The entertainment industry is a treasure trove of fascinating data. The Million Song Dataset contains audio features and metadata for a million contemporary popular music tracks.
The Numbers provides detailed movie financial analysis, including box office, DVD and Blu-ray sales reports, and release schedules. This data can be incredibly valuable for film enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
BFI Film Forever offers research data and market intelligence focused on the UK film industry and film culture. It's a great resource for anyone interested in the British film scene.
IFPI provides global statistics about the recording industry, giving us a glimpse into the world of music on a global scale. From album sales to streaming numbers, this data is a goldmine for music industry professionals.
The video game industry is also well-represented, with Statista offering statistics and facts about the industry, including global gaming software expenditure and U.S. brand equity of Nintendo Wii.
Retail
If you're looking for free data sources for retail insights, Love the Sales is a great place to start. It offers global retail industry data.
Retailers can tap into this free data to gain a deeper understanding of market trends and consumer behavior.
For instance, Love the Sales provides free data for insights into the global retail industry.
Travel/Transportation
Traveling abroad can be a thrilling experience, but have you ever wondered how many Americans visit international destinations each month? Monthly Tourism Statistics – U.S. Travelers Overseas provides a look at U.S. international air passenger statistics.
You can also find the latest statistics, research, and data about the travel industry on SkiftStats. This valuable resource helps you stay up-to-date on industry trends.
Planning a trip to a foreign location? Search the World offers statistics, population, weather, webcams, and travel information for millions of locations worldwide.
The U.S. Travel Association covers a wide variety of travel-related topics, from impacts of travel on state economies to analysis of what a stronger dollar means for the travel industry. This association is a go-to resource for travel professionals and enthusiasts alike.
The Bureau of Transportation Statistics is another valuable resource for transportation statistical data, research activities, and budgetary resources.
70 Open Sources Across Industries
You can find a treasure trove of free data across various industries by exploring open sources. The internet is a great place to start, with over 100 free data sources from reputable organizations worldwide.
A great data story starts with great data, and you can find it in public data sources. These sources can be used to create engaging content, such as infographics and interactives.
You can find a range of free data sources, including those from in-house sources and interesting studies. The best part is that you can access these sources from anywhere, making it a great resource for your next project.
Public data is a goldmine, and it's used to create all sorts of content. You can find it organized by category, making it easier to find the data you need.
Over 100 free data sources are available, and they're organized by category to make your search easier. This roundup is designed to help you find the data you need quickly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there anyway to get free data?
Yes, you can get free data on your Android phone using public Wi-Fi hotspots, guest Wi-Fi, or mobile tethering, as well as through apps that offer free data rewards for completing tasks or watching ads.
Sources
- https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/data-analytics/where-to-find-free-datasets/
- https://www.columnfivemedia.com/100-best-free-data-sources-infographic/
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2023/05/17/20-amazing-and-free-data-sources-anyone-can-use-to-build-ais/
- https://www.octoparse.com/blog/big-data-70-amazing-free-data-sources-you-should-know-for-2021
- https://www.semrush.com/blog/free-public-data-sets-sources/
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