Research Guides: Sociology: Data and Statistics

Recommended Sources

General Social Survey
"The GSS gathers data on contemporary American society in order to monitor and explain trends and constants in attitudes, behaviors, and attributes. Hundreds of trends have been tracked since 1972. In addition, since the GSS adopted questions from earlier surveys, trends can be followed for up to 80 years."
Library Research Guide for Statistics and Data
A general guide that includes sources pertaining to children and families, criminal justice, economy, education, elections, health, and religion.
United States Census Bureau
"The Census Bureau is dedicated to providing current facts and figures about America's people, places, and economy."
USA.gov
Data and statistics about the U.S.

Statistical Abstract of the United States This link opens in a new window
Find recent statistics reports on United States. Topics include population, health, education, law enforcement, economic and business conditions, and much more.
Statistical Abstract of the United States: Historical Editions, 1878-2012 This link opens in a new window
Statistics yearbooks from the United States federal government from 1878-2012. Covers population, health, education, economic and business conditions, and much more.

Pew Research Center
Current public opinion polls about U.S. politics, media and news, social trends, religion, the Internet and technology, Hispanics, and global issues.

Statistics Databases in Sociology

Statistics Websites in Sociology

Kinder Institute for Urban Research
The Kinder Institute publishes reports on demographic and social trends in our region, such as the annual Houston Area Survey, and interactive maps that show data by neighborhood.
Pew Research Center
Data and analysis on public opinion and attitudes in the United States and worldwide.
United Nations Data
International data on social indicators, economic conditions, and the environment.

Data Archives

These resources provide large data sets for research. They are designed for researchers who need data sets to process with analytics software. For other purposes, it is best to start with other sources on this page that often present the same data in a way that is easier to read.