The Census Bureau's International Data Base (IDB) contains statistical tables of demographic and socioeconomic data for 227 countries and areas of the world, using data from US Census Bureau Estimates and Projections, national statistics offices, the United Nations and specialized agencies such as the International Labour Organization, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, and the World Health Organization. The data in the IDB falls under such categories as population (by age and sex), vital statistics, infant mortality, fertility, migration, marital status, ethnicity, religion, language, literacy, and labour force information, dating back to the 1950s in some instances.
The data is provided by the Census Bureau at no charge to the user. It is possible to download the IDB to your desktop, in order to use the database offline. For some data sets, the user can choose how the data will be output – either in an online display or a spreadsheet. The online tables themselves are easy to create, and do not take much time to load. Some data sets allow the user the option of viewing a graph, which is extremely useful for inclusion in presentations and reports. The site has a very simple structure – the opening page lays out the data options available and provides some brief information about the database. Each page of the database has clear descriptions of the options available. Each sub‐page has a link back to the main IDB page as well as the Census Bureau's home page.
Contact information is very visible on the site. There is no general help section, however, each of the separate areas of the database has their own help screen. These include instructions on how to download the data into a spreadsheet for easier manipulation, more specific information on the data, and even some web browser tips. The main IDB page states that “IDB was created in the Census Bureau's International Programs Center (IPC) in response to the information requirements of IPC staff to meet the needs of organizations that sponsor IPC's research efforts”. To this reviewer, this adds another stamp of authenticity to the data – not only does it come from reliable sources such as foreign government censuses and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), but it is used by the US Government for help in its own research and analysis.
The site authors are quick to point out that the further development and expansion of the IDB is dependent on funding and research activity. They note that “The various government agencies, international organizations, and others who sponsor IPC's research program support and benefit from the IDB”. Currently, data projections go out to 2050 in some cases – the site notes that the last data update occurred in April 2005 so it appears that the Census Bureau is still committed to the project.
The Census Bureau's International Database is a very flexible database, easy to use for inexperienced researchers while at the same time providing options for those with advanced data manipulation skills. It is extremely helpful for researchers doing country studies and those looking to compare country or demographic and socioeconomic data, especially over time. This resource is recommended for all libraries.
