Fundamental

OECD

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

Comprehensive economic, social, and environmental data from the OECD covering 38 member countries and key partner economies. Access standardized indicators for cross-country analysis and policy research.

Update Frequency

Monthly/Quarterly

Historical Coverage

From 1960s

Point in Time

Available

Key Datasets

KEI

Key Economic Indicators

Short-term economic monitoring including unemployment, inflation, and business confidence indicators

QNA

Quarterly National Accounts

National economic accounting data including GDP, consumption, investment, and trade

PATS

Patent Statistics

Innovation and intellectual property measurement through patent applications and grants

REV

Revenue Statistics

Tax and government revenue data including tax rates, collections, and fiscal policy indicators

SHA

System of Health Accounts

Healthcare expenditure tracking including public and private health spending

Overview & Use Cases

Best Used For

•Cross-country economic analysis and benchmarking
•Macroeconomic research and policy analysis
•Long-term economic trend identification
•International investment and trade analysis

Common Workflows

•Economic indicator dashboard creation
•Country risk assessment and scoring
•Innovation and R&D benchmarking studies
•Healthcare expenditure trend analysis

Coverage Details

Geographic Coverage

•38 OECD member countries
•Key partner economies (Brazil, China, India, etc.)
•Regional aggregates (OECD Total, EU, G7, G20)
•World totals for selected indicators

Data Characteristics

•Harmonized methodologies across countries
•Seasonal adjustment available for key series
•Multiple currency units (national, USD, PPP)
•Extensive metadata and methodological notes

Data Dictionary & Schema

Field	Dataset	Type	Unit	Description	Sample
agency_id	All	STRING	N/A	Source agency identifier	OECD
dataflow_id	All	STRING	N/A	Specific dataset identifier	OECD_KEI
obs_value	All	STRING/DOUBLE	Variable	The actual statistical value	1.5
extraction_date	All	STRING/TIMESTAMP	N/A	When data was extracted from source	2025-08-23 14:30:00
TIME_PERIOD	All	STRING	N/A	Reference time period for the observation	2024-Q3
LOCATION	All	STRING	N/A	Geographic reference code	USA
load_date	All	TIMESTAMP	N/A	Pipeline processing timestamp	2025-08-23 15:00:00
REF_AREA	KEI	STRING	N/A	Country or region code for KEI data	USA
FREQ	KEI	STRING	N/A	Data frequency indicator	M
MEASURE	KEI	STRING	N/A	Type of measurement or calculation	PC_CHGPY
UNIT_MEASURE	KEI	STRING	N/A	Unit of measurement for the indicator	PCT
ACTIVITY	KEI	STRING	N/A	Economic activity classification	TOTAL
ADJUSTMENT	KEI	STRING	N/A	Seasonal adjustment indicator	SA
TRANSFORMATION	KEI	STRING	N/A	Data transformation applied	PC_CHGPY
SECTOR	QNA	STRING	N/A	Economic sector classification	S1
COUNTERPART_SECTOR	QNA	STRING	N/A	Counterpart economic sector	REST_OF_WORLD
TRANSACTION	QNA	STRING	N/A	Type of economic transaction	B1_GE
INSTR_ASSET	QNA	STRING	N/A	Financial instrument or asset type	F2
EXPENDITURE	QNA	STRING	N/A	Expenditure category classification	FINAL
PRICE_BASE	QNA	STRING	N/A	Price basis for valuation	V
TABLE_IDENTIFIER	QNA	STRING	N/A	Source table identification code	0101
PATENT_AUTHORITIES	PATS	STRING	N/A	Patent office or authority	EPO
DATE_TYPE	PATS	STRING	N/A	Date reference for patent data	APPYEAR
PARTNER_AREA	PATS	STRING	N/A	Partner country for international cooperation	USA
AGENT_ROLE	PATS	STRING	N/A	Role of patent agent	INVENTOR
COOPERATION_TYPE	PATS	STRING	N/A	Type of international cooperation	FOREIGN
WIPO	PATS	STRING	N/A	WIPO technology field classification	BIOTECHNOLOGY
OECD_TECHNOLOGY_PATENT	PATS	STRING	N/A	OECD technology classification	HIGH_TECH
GOV	REV	STRING	N/A	Government level classification	FED
TAX	REV	STRING	N/A	Tax category classification	INCOME
VAR	REV	STRING	N/A	Variable type for revenue measurement	REVPCT
COU	REV	STRING	N/A	Country code for revenue statistics	USA
FINANCING_SCHEME	SHA	STRING	N/A	Healthcare financing mechanism	HF1
FINANCING_SCHEME_REV	SHA	STRING	N/A	Revenue source of financing scheme	FS1
FUNCTION	SHA	STRING	N/A	Healthcare function classification	HC1
MODE_PROVISION	SHA	STRING	N/A	Healthcare service delivery mode	HP1
PROVIDER	SHA	STRING	N/A	Healthcare provider classification	HP1
FACTOR_PROVISION	SHA	STRING	N/A	Healthcare input factors	RES
ASSET_TYPE	SHA	STRING	N/A	Healthcare asset classification	BUILDINGS

Data Quality & Methodology

Data Collection Process

OECD collects data through standardized questionnaires sent to national statistical offices and relevant government agencies. Data undergoes rigorous validation and harmonization processes to ensure cross-country comparability.

•Direct reporting from national statistical offices
•Standardized methodologies and definitions
•Regular data validation and quality checks
•Harmonization for international comparability

Quality Controls

•Cross-country consistency checks and validation
•Time series coherence and trend analysis
•Regular dialogue with national statistical offices
•Comprehensive metadata and methodological documentation

Known Limitations

•Data availability varies by country and indicator
•Release schedules depend on national statistical offices
•Some indicators may have breaks in series due to methodological changes
•Preliminary data may be subject to significant revisions

"Gotchas" & Important Notes

Common Misconceptions

⚠
Not All Countries Report All Indicators: Data availability varies significantly across countries and time periods.
⚠
Harmonized ≠ Identical: While methodologies are standardized, national differences in implementation may still exist.

Timing Considerations

⏰
Release Schedules: Data release timing varies by dataset and depends on national statistical office schedules.
⏰
Revision Cycles: Many indicators undergo regular revisions as more complete data becomes available.

Understanding OECD Data Structure

OECD data follows a standardized structure across all datasets:

•Country Codes: ISO 3-letter codes (USA, DEU, JPN, etc.)
•Time Periods: Standardized formats (YYYY, YYYY-QQ, YYYY-MM)
•Indicators: Unique codes for each statistical measure
•Units: Clearly specified measurement units and scaling

Data Interpretation Guidelines

•Seasonal Adjustment: Check whether data is seasonally adjusted or raw
•Currency Units: Be aware of national currency vs. USD vs. PPP conversions
•Base Years: Some indicators use specific base years for index calculations
•Metadata: Always consult methodological notes for proper interpretation

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