Get Started
We recommend the resources below to find data and statistics on various topics. Using a search engine, like Google can also be helpful in accessing statistics online. For example, searching child labor statistics on Google will bring up results relevant to the topic. When using a search engine, you can specify the domain (government, nonprofits).
keyword:site domain
A search for child labor statistics:site.gov will exclusively return results from government websites
Another good rule of thumb, is to go to the county or state department websites. For example, if you are looking for data or statistics about free lunch programs or english language learners in New York State, I would check out the New York State Department of Education website.
Data Sets
The following list provides access to datasets available through the USC Libraries or through open access resources.
- Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research This link opens in a new windowThe Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), established in 1962, is an integral part of the infrastructure of social science research.
Mental and Behavioral Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Preventionhe reports and other products in this section can serve as resources to public health officials and other health professionals who need up-to-date statistics and data sources around mental health and mental illness.
- National Alliance on Mental HealthNAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)NIMH offers authoritative information about mental health disorders and the latest mental health research.
- SAMHSA DataThe Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation and to improve the lives of individuals living with mental and substance use disorders, and their families.
Children, Youth and Families
- Child Welfare Information GatewayFrom the U.S. Dept of Health & Human Services. Reports, databases and demographics on topics from prevention to permanency, including child abuse and neglect, foster care, and adoption.
- Kids Count Data CenterKIDS COUNT is a project of the Annie E. Casey Foundation and a premier source of data on children and families. Each year, the Foundation produces a comprehensive report — the KIDS COUNT Data Book — that assesses child well-being in the United States.
- Children's Bureau - Department of Health and Human ServicesUsing information collected through various monitoring and reporting systems, the Children's Bureau analyzes and reports data on a variety of topics, including adoption, foster care, and child abuse and neglect.
- Families & Living Arrangements - U.S. Census BureauThe Census Bureau collects data about American families for the nation, states and communities.
- National Data Archive on Child Abuse and NeglectA resource since 1988, the National Data Archive on Child Abuse and Neglect (NDACAN) promotes scholarly exchange among researchers in the child maltreatment field. NDACAN acquires microdata from leading researchers and national data collection efforts and makes these datasets available to the research community for secondary analysis.
Crime and the Justice System
- Bureau of Justice StatisticsStatistics on crime, criminal offenders, victims of crime, and the operation of justice systems at all levels of government
- Juvenile Justice information from NCJRSThe National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) is a federally funded resource offering justice and drug-related information.
- Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency PreventionThe OJJDP Statistical Briefing Book (SBB) enables users to access online information via OJJDP's Web site to learn more about juvenile crime and victimization and about youth involved in the juvenile justice system.
- United Nations Office on Drugs and CrimeUNODC collects data on crime and the operation of criminal justice systems in order to make policy-relevant information and analysis available in a timely manner to the international communi
Immigration
- Office of Immigration StatisticsDatasets and resources published by the Office of Immigration Statistics.
- Center for Immigration StudiesThe Center for Immigration Studies is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit, research organization.
- United States Citizenship and Immigration ServicesThese reports provide data on various aspects of USCIS operations.
Education
- National Center for EducationThe National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education.
- World Bank Education StatisticsThe World Bank EdStats (Education Statistics) portal is your comprehensive data and analysis source for key topics in education such as access, completion, learning, expenditures, policy, and equity.
Religion
- Association of Religion Data ArchivesData related to religion, including American and International collections.
- Pew Research Center: Religious Landscape StudyThe Religious Landscape Study surveys more than 35,000 Americans from all 50 states about their religious affiliations, beliefs and practices, and social and political views.
- United States Congressional MembershipsGenerate reports on congregations and their members for any county, state and urban area in the United States.
Epidemiology and Health Statistics
- Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityThe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of America's health care system. AHRQ develops the knowledge, tools, and data needed to improve the health care system and help Americans, health care professionals, and policymakers make informed health decisions.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalitiesinformation on the rate and number of work-related injuries, illnesses, and fatal injuries, and how these statistics vary by incident, industry, geography, occupation, and other characteristics.
- California Healthcare FoundationThrough its Free the Data initiative, CHCF seeks to unlock the potential of government health data by catalyzing development of tools to better access, analyze, and communicate information.
- CDC National Vital Statistics ReportsNational Vital Statistics Reports (NVSR) are regular issues from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) that cover provisional birth, death, marriage, and divorce statistics.
- Centers for Disease Control - Data & StatisticsLinks to statistics related to numerous topics.
- Health Coverage & Uninsured - Kaiser Family FoundationInformation and data about healthcare coverage in the U.S.
- Health Reform Source - Kaiser Family FoundationRobust site about healthcare reform and the Affordable Healthcare Act.
- Healthy People Data SearchHealthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. For 3 decades, Healthy People has established benchmarks and monitored progress over time in order to encourage collaborations across communities and sectors, empower individuals toward making informed health decisions, and measure the impact of prevention activities.
LGBTQ
- Human Rights CampaignHRC’s report, Growing Up LGBT in America, is a groundbreaking survey of more than 10,000 LGBT-identified youth ages 13-17.
- LGBT Demographic Studies from the Williams InstituteInformation about the LGBT population from the Williams Institute, a national think tank focusing on sexual orientation, gender identity law and public policy.
- Pew Research Center - LGBT AmericansThis report is based primarily on a Pew Research Center survey of the LGBT population conducted April 11-29, 2013, among a nationally representative sample of 1,197 self-identified lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender adults 18 years of age or older.