LibGuides: Public Health and Advocacy: Health Statistics & Demographics

Health Data & Statistics by Geographic Region

Global Health Observatory (GHO) Data from WHO Data, reports, country statistics, and more that have been released from the World Health Organization.
Organizations by Topic from MedlinePlus MedlinePlus curates this list of organizations by health topic with links to the organizations' page. These pages can be a great place to find data and statistics on those topics.
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Resources from the UN that monitor global population trends, including fertility and mortality.
United Nations Statistics Division A central repository of country profiles of statistical systems from the United Nations. Depending on the information the country collects this can include health data.
U.S. Census Bureau's International Data Base Search census information, including mortality and fertility rates, for different countries.
World Bank Health Data Data here cover health systems, disease prevention, reproductive health, nutrition, and population dynamics. Data are from the United Nations Population Division, World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and various other sources.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) The The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent global health research center at the University of Washington that looks to compile research and data on topics complimentary to the U.N. and World Health Organization while having no ties to countries or political affiliations.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ): Research Tools & Data Evidence based tools and research that are compiled to keep healthcare providers better informed on various health topics from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. This page links directly to their data, reports, and even data infographics. Compiled by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Aging Stats Data Resources include descriptions of and links to the web sites of ongoing, federally sponsored surveys relevant to the aging from the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics.
American Fact Finder To fill in the gaps between the main census years, the Census Bureau conducts the annual American Community Survey. The Survey began in 2000 and all reports are available on American FactFinder. This includes Health information
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) From the CDC this resource composes health-related telephone surveys that collect state data about U.S. residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.
CDC: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Data & Statistics Access reports, data, and statistics from the CDC. Includes tools such as the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) Atlas, Health Data Interactive, Vital Signs, and more.
CDC Fast Stats A to Z quick access to statistics on topics of public health importance - including mental health, drug use, alcohol use, and more.
ChildStats.gov Summary information on many issues surrounding children and children’s health in the United States. Choose “data source descriptions” for more information about and links to original data. Includes interactive tools, surveys, publications, statistics and more.
Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health The mission of the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC) is to advance the effective use of public data on the status of children’s health and health-related services for children, youth and families in the United States. This page provides access to their surveys and data.
HealthData.gov This site is dedicated to making high value health data more accessible with the ability to search across their datasets - with a sections specifically for Hospitals and for Medicare.
Healthy People 2020 This is a PubMed Special Query which searches for published literature related to the Healthy People 2020 subject areas. This includes statistical snapshots of the different subject areas - such as access to health services, diabetes, genomics, mental health, and so much more.

Historical Statistics of the United States This link opens in a new window Quantitative facts of American history. Statistical tables covering population, work and welfare, economic structure and performance, economic sectors, and governance and international relations. The fully searchable and downloadable electronic edition permits users to graph individual tables and create customized tables and spreadsheets reflecting their own particular areas of interest. Scope: United States. Dates: 1700s-2000 (majority of tables falling between 1790-1990).

National Center for Health Statistics Statistical tools and resources from the National Center for Health Statistics, an off-shoot of the CDC. Includes, Health: United States (an annual report on trends in health statistics), CDC WONDER (a database that utilize a rich ad-hoc query system for the analysis of public health data), Stats of the States, and more.
United States Census Bureau Portal to US Census data, including people and households, business and industry, geography and maps. Includes links to special topics and economic indicators.

Health Data NY Find resources, initiatives, services, facts, and data from the state of New York. Tables, charts, and maps are included with a user friendly guide to finding these resources.
NY State Department of Health Statistics and Data Data and reports from the NY State Department of Health by topic. Includes fact sheets, infographics, data, reports, and planning strategies.

NYC Health: Data Offers access to data, statistics, maps, and publications from the NYC Department of Health. Includes Environment & Health Data Portal, NYC Macroscope, Epiquery, and more.
NYC Open Data: Health Reports and statistics from city services, specifically related to health.
NYC FactFinder (Census and ACS) from NYC Department of City Planning Use the Census FactFinder map overlay to learn more about census data in the 5 boroughs.
New York City Councilmatic New York City Councilmatic is a free tool that helps you to understand and track legislation. It is the easiest way to access official New York City Council information.

Health Data & Statistics by Subject

ChildStats.gov Summary information on many issues surrounding children and children’s health in the United States. Choose “data source descriptions” for more information about and links to original data. Includes interactive tools, surveys, publications, statistics and more.
Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health The mission of the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC) is to advance the effective use of public data on the status of children’s health and health-related services for children, youth and families in the United States. This page provides access to their surveys and data.

Librarian Tip: Don't rule out other sources! Many databases will allow you to limit by age, so while the sources listed here are specifically dedicated to children's health you might be able to find data and statistics on this age group elsewhere.

ChildStats.gov: Health Care Summary information on many issues surrounding children and children’s health in the United States. This section presents information on selected determinants of healthcare utilization for children (having health insurance coverage and having a usual source of healthcare) and selected measures of health care utilization (immunization, children having a dental visit, and children with untreated dental caries).
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Regulations, guidance, education, outreach tools, research, statistics and data all from the Health and Human Services Department.
Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Survey data from the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) which ask consumers and patients to report on and evaluate their experiences with healthcare.
Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health The mission of the Data Resource Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DRC) is to advance the effective use of public data on the status of children’s health and health-related services for children, youth and families in the United States. This page provides access to their surveys and data.
HealthData.gov This site is dedicated to making high value health data more accessible with the ability to search across their datasets - with a sections specifically for Hospitals and for Medicare.
Health Insurance from the U.S. Census Bureau The Census Bureau collects health insurance data using three national surveys: the Current Population Survey's Annual Social and Economic Supplement (CPS ASEC), the American Community Survey (ACS) and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). Find tables, figures, highlights, and more here.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Data Warehouse The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving health and achieving health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce and innovative programs. You can see the data and statistics they have collected on these issues here.

Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Data Warehouse The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving health and achieving health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce and innovative programs. You can see the data and statistics they have collected on these issues here.
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA): Health Workforce The State Profiles provide data on 35 types of health workers -- from physicians, nurses, and dentists to counselors, physical therapists, and others. The Area Health Resources Files (ARHF) comprise health workforce data for every U.S. county, drawn from more than 50 sources. Included are data on healthcare professions, health professions training, health facilities, hospital utilization, hospital expenditures, population and economic statistics, environment, and codes and classifications.

HCUP The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) includes the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States.
HealthData.gov This site is dedicated to making high value health data more accessible with the ability to search across their datasets - with a sections specifically for Hospitals and for Medicare.
Medicare Hospital Compare Data Hospital Compare has information about the quality of care at over 4,000 Medicare-certified hospitals-across the country.
National Hospital Discharge Survey The National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS), which was conducted annually from 1965-2010, was a national probability survey designed to meet the need for information on characteristics of inpatients discharged from non-Federal short-stay hospitals in the United States
New York State Department of Health:Commission on Health Care Facilities in the 21st Century Though most recent data is from 2004, this report and the data it utilizes shed light on the status of hospitals and nursing homes in different regions of NY and offer recommendations for management.
New York State Department of Health: Hospital Profiles One featured page from the NYS Department of Health: Hospitals in NY State, this page allows one to view all hospitals in the state of NY and profiles on them that include information about hospitals' quality of care, maternity information, surgery, surgical procedures, and inspections.
New York State Department of Health: Hospitals in NY State Offers a variety of information on hospitals within NY state, including profiles, complaints, patient tracking, diagnosis information, and more.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Data from SAMHSA that helps them assess the impact of the changes to US healthcare systems and identify and address behavioral health disparities.

When looking for information on gun violence it is important to note it will usually be classified under "Interpersonal Violence."

CDC’s WISQARS (Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System) An interactive, online database that provides fatal and nonfatal injury, violent death, and cost of injury data from a variety of trusted sources. The different reports cover the United States and you can limit by "Firerarm" under "What was the cause or mechanism of the injury based on the abstractor-assigned manner of death? (Select one or more boxes.)"
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Data Visualizations Visual reports offer an overview of information comparing deaths, violence, and injury due to a variety of factors (including gun violence). Use options such as GBD Compare and Causes of Death for visual data. Once in these visualizations select Cause and utilize options such as Unintentional Injuries (Unintentional firearm injuries) or Self Harm and Interpersonal Violence (Self harm by firearm or Physical violence by firearm).
Violence Prevention: The Evidence (from World Health Organization) A report on prevention of violence, including gun violence. Utilize the bibliography for further statistics.

Looking for information on laws and regulations in the United States regarding firearms? There is a collection called Gun Regulation and Legislation in America in:

HeinOnline This link opens in a new window Full text collections of legal journals, texts, cases, statutes, regulations, presidential materials, treaties, as well as international and foreign legal journals, cases and materials. Content is in the original page-image (PDF) format, ensuring the authenticity of the original hardcopy document. Content includes historical and current materials. Collections include Law Journal Library, History of International Law, Code of Federal Regulations, Federal Register Library, Legal Classics, Women and the Law (Peggy), U.S. Treaties and Agreements Library, U.S. Attorney General & Department of Justice Collection, U.S. Federal Legislative History Library, U.S. Presidential Library, U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Supreme Court Library. Scope: Worldwide. Dates: Varies.

Finding Statistics & Data

Health statistics can be difficult to locate and often the numbers you are looking for can be hidden in a longer report or publication. Use this page as a jumping off point to find necessary information, but always feel free to ask a librarian for help as well!

Librarian Tip: Often following the citations and information in health sciences literature, for instance journal articles, can help you locate necessary resources.

Get help understanding and utilizing statistics, data, and original research with:

Original Research & Research Methods Psychology Guide

Health Services Research Information Central

Data, Tools and Statistics
HSR Information Central contains selective links representing a sample of available information, data, and statistics revolving around health. Items are selected for their quality, authority of authorship, uniqueness, and appropriateness. Some of these resources will be represented already on this guide, but some are not.

Tips, Tricks, and Tutorials

When searching PubMed limit to the subheading:
/statistics and numerical data [Subheading]

Example: diabetes/statistics and numerical data [Subheading]

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