# World Bank Open Data

**Source ID:** DS-00003
**Record Created:** 2025-10-25
**Last Updated:** 2025-10-25
**Cataloger:** DM-001
**Review Status:** Reviewed

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## Bibliographic Information

### Title Statement
- **Main Title:** World Bank Open Data Portal
- **Subtitle:** Free and Open Access to Global Development Data
- **Abbreviated Title:** World Bank Data
- **Variant Titles:** WB Open Data, World Bank Indicators, WDI

### Responsibility Statement
- **Publisher/Issuing Body:** The World Bank Group
- **Department/Division:** Development Data Group
- **Contact Information:** data@worldbank.org

### Publication Information
- **Place of Publication:** Washington, D.C., United States
- **Date of First Publication:** 2010
- **Publication Frequency:** Continuous (API), Quarterly major updates
- **Current Status:** Active

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## Authority Statement

### Organizational Authority

**Issuing Organization Analysis:**
- **Official Name:** International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (World Bank)
- **Type:** International Financial Institution
- **Established:** 1944 (Bretton Woods Conference)
- **Mandate:** Reduce poverty, promote shared prosperity through development financing and knowledge
- **Parent Organization:** World Bank Group
- **Governance Structure:** 189 member countries, Board of Governors

**Domain Authority:**
- **Subject Expertise:** 75+ years of development economics expertise
- **Recognition:** Premier development data authority
- **Publication History:** World Development Indicators (1978-present), numerous statistical publications
- **Peer Recognition:** Primary source for development banks, UN agencies, researchers

**Quality Oversight:**
- **Peer Review:** Development Data Group maintains quality standards
- **Editorial Board:** Chief Statistician oversight
- **Certification:** SDMX compliant, statistical best practices

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## Scope Note

### Content Description

**Subject Coverage:**
- **Primary Subjects:** Development Economics, Poverty, Economic Growth, Infrastructure
- **Keywords:** development indicators, poverty statistics, economic data, infrastructure, governance

**Geographic Coverage:**
- **Spatial Scope:** Global (World Bank client countries + high-income)
- **Countries Included:** 189 member countries
- **Granularity:** National (some subnational for select indicators)
- **Completeness:** 80-95% for core economic indicators

**Temporal Coverage:**
- **Start Date:** 1960 for many economic indicators
- **End Date:** Present (most recent: 2022-2023)
- **Historical Depth:** 50+ years for key indicators
- **Frequency:** Annual (most indicators)

**Variables/Indicators:**
- **Number:** 1400+ indicators across 21 topic areas
- **Core Indicators:** GDP, poverty rates, trade, debt, education, health expenditure
- **Topics:** Economy, Education, Environment, Health, Infrastructure, Poverty, etc.

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## Access Conditions

### Technical Access

**API Information:**
- **Endpoint URL:** https://api.worldbank.org/v2/
- **API Type:** REST
- **API Version:** v2
- **Documentation:** https://datahelpdesk.worldbank.org/knowledgebase/articles/889392

**Authentication:**
- **Required:** No (public API)
- **Type:** None

**Rate Limits:**
- **Requests/Second:** Recommended 10/sec
- **Daily Limit:** None specified
- **Fair use policy:** Expected

**Data Formats:**
- **Available:** JSON, XML
- **Bulk Download:** Yes (CSV, Excel)

**Reliability:**
- **Uptime:** 99%+
- **Latency:** <1s typical
- **Stability:** Very stable (v2 since 2011)

### Legal/Policy Access

**License:**
- **Type:** Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
- **URL:** https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

**Usage Rights:**
- **Redistribution:** Yes, with attribution
- **Commercial Use:** Yes
- **Modification:** Yes
- **Attribution Required:** Yes - cite World Bank

**Cost:**
- **Free**

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## Known Limitations

### Coverage Limitations
- Limited subnational data
- Some small countries have gaps
- Historical data varies by indicator

### Methodological Limitations
- Relies on national statistical offices (quality varies)
- Estimation models for missing data
- Definitional changes over time

### Comparability Limitations
- Cross-country comparability affected by national practices
- PPP adjustments introduce uncertainty
- Time series breaks for some indicators

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## Recommended Use Cases

**Ideal For:**
- Long-term economic trend analysis (1960-present)
- Cross-country development comparisons
- Economic research and modeling
- Poverty and development tracking

**Avoid For:**
- Real-time economic monitoring
- Subnational analysis
- Non-economic social indicators (use WHO, UNICEF instead)

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## Citation

**APA 7th:**
World Bank. (2025). *World Bank Open Data*. https://data.worldbank.org

**BibTeX:**
```bibtex
@misc{worldbank_data_2025,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {World Bank Open Data},
  year = {2025},
  url = {https://data.worldbank.org},
  note = {Accessed: 2025-10-25}
}
```

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## Related Substrate Entities

**Problems:**
- PR-84721: Wealth Inequality
- PR-13042: Toxic Water in Poor US Cities (infrastructure indicators)

**Solutions:**
- Economic development programs
- Poverty reduction initiatives

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**END OF SOURCE RECORD**