LibGuides: Economics 551: Topics in Development Economics: Country Information

General Information

Research Assistance

Key Databases

Country Reports on Economic Policy and Trade Practices
Issued by the U.S. Department of State. The reports, dating from 1993 to 2001, provide comprehensive analysis of economic policies and trade practices of countries. The reports were abolished in 2002.

EIU Country Intelligence This link opens in a new window
The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) provides quarterly analysis and forecasts of the political, economic and business environment in more than 180 countries. Included in each country report is a detailed review and analysis of political and economic events, a compilation of the latest economic indicators as well as a 12-24 month political outlook and economic projection. Annual Country Profiles include statistical tables covering five years of the main macroeconomic indicators. Risk Ratings Review offers country risk ratings based on political, economic, and social policies and practices.
Emerging Markets Information Service (EMIS) This link opens in a new window
It delivers hard-to-get information on more than 80 emerging markets through its award-winning online Emerging Markets Information Service. It aggregates and produces unique content including full-text news articles, financial statements, company information, industry analyses, equity quotes, macroeconomic statistics, and market-specific information, which are derived directly from more than 13,000 local and global publications.

Euromoney
Similar to Business Week but with an international focus, Euromoney is a financial magazine that covers companies and economic situations around the world. The Regions and Countries area of the web site is a good place to find recent articles on events and issues in particular countries, but to search there, you must first apply for a username and password. Each September the magazine publishes a list of the world's countries ranked by level of risk. This list is particularly useful because it identifies and defines key components of risk.

OECD iLibrary This link opens in a new window
Furnishes statistics, papers, and selected special reports on the member countries of OECD; covers various aspects of economies including education, economy, infrastructure, and trade.
Passport Global Market Information Database This link opens in a new window
This database contains demographic, economic, and background marketing statistics for over 200 countries, as well as market and economic forecasts. Passport also contains major market reports and consumer lifestyle reports for countries from all over the globe. To locate statistics, look under Search (in the upper left corner of the Home/Welcome page). You can generate tables of statistics on Consumer, Industrial, and Service Markets by clicking on the appropriate link. The next step requires you to select among several countries. You can also use the toolbar at the top of the page to explore by Industries, Countries, and Consumers. If you need a table about Food Shopping Habits in Croatia, this is the resource for you.

Database Help: After signing into Passport, find the "help" link on the far right side of the navigation bar at the top of the welcome page.

IMF e-Library
This resource has time-series data for more than 200 countries and areas, exchange rates and fund position for member countries as well as information about national accounts, interest rates, inflation, etc. Maintained by the International Monetary Fund. Once in the IMF eLibrary, select 'International Financial Statistics (IFS)' from the 'Data Source' drop-down.

For definitions of data terms, click here for Manuals and Guides.
For database help, click "Help" in the upper right-hand corner of the IMF eLibrary homepage.
World Competitiveness Yearbook - International Institute for Management Development
Call Number: Q. 337.021 W893
Publication Date: 1996-Present
Reference Room (most recent year); Main Stacks

Provides a multi-dimensional approach to benchmark a country's performance to global economies. Analyzes and ranks each nation's ability to provide an environment that sustains the competitiveness of enterprises. Divided into four main categories: Economic Performance, Government Efficiency, Business Efficiency, and Infrastructure. Helpful graphs show rankings in terms of population, GDP, and region. Detailed explanation of methods is provided.