IMF Data
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) collects and publishes macroeconomic and financial data used to monitor the global economy. Its portal brings together several flagship databases in one place, so you can move between them without learning a different system for each.
The best known is International Financial Statistics, which covers balance of payments, interest rates, national accounts, prices, production, trade, and population for more than 200 countries. Data is available online and through an API. IMF terms allow free access for most uses, but some datasets carry restrictions on redistribution, so check the terms for the specific series you plan to build on.
Related sources
Eurostat
The statistical office of the European Union, providing official statistics for Europe. Covers the economy, population, environment, agriculture, trade, and more across EU member states, with harmonised figures that let you compare countries on a like-for-like basis.
OECD Data
Reports, data, and publications on the economic, environmental, and social conditions in hundreds of countries. Includes International Development Statistics covering aid volume, origin, and types, plus the Creditor Reporting System with detailed information on individual aid activities.
Our World in Data
Research and interactive visualisations on global problems, built by aggregating and harmonising data from official sources. Every chart can be downloaded as a ZIP containing a CSV file, JSON metadata, and a README, and the underlying data is available programmatically via an API. Full provenance is documented for every dataset.
SDMX (Statistical Data and Metadata Exchange)
An open standard for exchanging statistical data and metadata electronically, developed jointly by the BIS, ECB, Eurostat, IMF, OECD, UN, and World Bank. Not a dataset itself but the interchange format many statistical agencies use to publish their figures.