GLOBAL DATA / OFFICIAL STATISTICS
Compare economies,
industries and populations.
Use official statistics to compare countries and regions, examine trends and study how a measure is distributed. Source definitions, units and reporting periods stay with the figures.
Hover, tap or select to inspect coverage. Use arrow keys to move across the map.
How do you compare official statistics across countries?
Use the same indicator definition and a common reporting period, then retain the unit, geographic level, source and revision information with each observation. Distinguish current-price values, real growth rates and modelled estimates before comparing them. A valid comparison can still leave a commercial question unanswered.
In the published World Bank example, GDP per capita, GDP growth and unemployment provide economic context for Germany, the Netherlands and Poland in 2024. The expanded market-entry investigation adds category imports, household spending and retail activity. This is a reproducible public-data analysis, not a customer outcome or a live production-agent run.
Inspect the original observations and calculationsTHE STATISTICAL WORK
What you can analyse.
| Operation | Question | Definition to preserve |
|---|---|---|
| Compare places | How do these countries differ on the same indicator? | The indicator, unit and observation period. |
| Read history | How has one measure changed within a geography? | The available series and any break in definition. |
| Inspect a distribution | How is a total divided across categories? | The denominator and classification used. |
| Rank a set | Which regions have the highest returned value? | The eligible geography set and missing observations. |
AN ACTUAL EXAMPLE
See an example using World Bank data.
Our original three-country brief compares GDP per capita, GDP growth and unemployment in Germany, the Netherlands and Poland for 2024. The expanded analysis adds household spending, trade and retail data.
GDP per capita measures output per person in current US dollars. Assessing demand for a product also requires category and customer evidence. The example shows how these measures contribute to a wider investigation.
Inspect the World Bank comparisonSOURCE FAMILIES IN THE INDEX
Some of the sources available.
World Bank WDI
Macroeconomic, population and development indicators.
Inspect World Bank sources 02Eurostat labour evidence
Employment and workforce measures across supported European geographies.
Inspect Eurostat labour sources 03National statistical evidence
Business patterns, labour and regional measures supplied by national agencies.
Inspect Census sourcesPERIODS AND RELEASES
Keep track of revisions to published figures.
Statistical agencies can revise earlier observations. When updating a comparison, record whether a changed figure comes from a new period, a revision or a different definition. Our method note explains how to keep that history.
Read the comparison refresh protocol