Over the last few months I’ve spent a lot of time talking about Creating Low Cost High Return Digital PR campaigns – but in order to do that, knowing where to go for free data is a huge bonus!
Below we’ve compiled a quick list of 70 great (free) data sources that you can use for your Digital PR campaigns, so if you are looking for inspiration for your next piece of data analysis, look no further!
Government Agencies:
- Office for National Statistics (ONS): Extensive economic, social, and demographic data. (https://www.ons.gov.uk/)
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS): Data on business sectors, energy, and innovation. (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy)
- Department for Education (DfE): Education and skills data at national and regional levels. (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-education)
- Food Standards Agency (FSA): Data on food safety, diet, and nutrition. (https://www.food.gov.uk/)
- Environment Agency: Environmental data on pollution, water quality, and waste. (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/environment-agency)
Industry Associations & Research Bodies:
- Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD): Data on HR practices, workforce trends, and employee engagement. (https://www.cipd.org/en/)
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB): Data on small business demographics, challenges, and growth. (https://www.fsb.org.uk/)
- Retail Economics: Retail sales data and insights into consumer spending behavior. (https://www.retaileconomics.co.uk/)
- Centre for Cities: Research and data on urban economies and city development. (https://www.centreforcities.org/)
- The Work Foundation: Research on work, employment, and the changing nature of jobs. (https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/work-foundation/)
Public & Academic Institutions:
- Bank of England: Economic data, policy decisions, and financial market analysis. (https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/)
- Resolution Foundation: Research on living standards, poverty, and inequality. (https://www.resolutionfoundation.org/)
- National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR): Independent economic research and forecasting. (https://www.niesr.ac.uk/)
- Joseph Rowntree Foundation: Research on poverty, inequality, and social justice. (https://www.jrf.org.uk/)
- The Health Foundation: Independent research on health and social care issues. (https://www.health.org.uk/)
Business & Consumer Data Providers:
- Statista: Global market research data and statistics on various industries. (https://www.statista.com/)
- Euromonitor International: Market research data and insights on consumer trends. (https://www.euromonitor.com/)
- Kantar Worldpanel: Consumer behavior and purchase data across various product categories. (https://www.worldpanel.com/)
- Nielsen: Market research data on media consumption, advertising, and consumer trends. (https://www.nielsen.com/)
- GfK: Market research data on consumer behavior, retail sales, and brand preferences. (https://www.gfk.com/home)
Data Portals & Open Data Initiatives:
- Data.gov.uk: Open data platform from the UK government. (https://www.data.gov.uk/)
- London Datastore: Open data platform for London. (https://data.london.gov.uk/dataset)
- Scotland’s Open Data Platform: Open data platform for Scotland. (https://opendata.scot/)
- Open Data Wales: Open data platform for Wales. (https://datamap.gov.wales/)
- Northern Ireland Open Data Platform: Open data platform for Northern Ireland. (https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/open-data)
News & Media Resources:
- BBC News: News data and statistics from the BBC. (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news)
- The Guardian: Data journalism and interactive features from The Guardian. (https://www.theguardian.com/)
- The Times: News data and analysis from The Times (may require free registration). (https://www.thetimes.co.uk/)
- The Telegraph: Data journalism and interactive features from The Telegraph (may require free registration). (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/)
- Financial Times: Financial data and analysis from the Financial Times (may require free registration). (https://www.ft.com/)
- Sky News: News data and statistics from Sky News. (https://news.sky.com/)
Trade Associations & Professional Bodies:
- Confederation of British Industry (CBI): Business surveys and economic forecasts. (https://www.cbi.org.uk/)
- Institute of Directors (IoD): Data on director attitudes and business decision-making. (https://www.iod.com/)
- Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM): Data on marketing trends, consumer behavior, and advertising effectiveness. (https://www.cim.org/)
- Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW): Data on financial reporting, accounting practices, and business confidence. (https://www.icaew.com/)
- Law Society of England and Wales: Data on legal trends, access to justice, and the legal profession. (https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/)
- Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Data on property prices, housing market trends, and construction activity. (https://www.rics.org/)
- The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT): Data on logistics, transport, and supply chain management. (https://www.ciltuk.org.uk/)
Retail & Consumer Insights:
- British Retail Consortium (BRC): Retail sales data and insights into consumer spending trends. (https://www.brc.org.uk/)
- Office for National Statistics – Retail Sales:
- IMRG Capgemini Online Retail Index: Data on online retail sales and e-commerce trends.
- Which?: Consumer research and product reviews from Which?. (https://www.which.co.uk/)
- MoneySavingExpert: Consumer finance data, price comparisons, and money-saving tips. (https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/)
Social Media & Online Trends:
- Google Trends: Track search trends and see what people are interested in. (https://trends.google.com/)
- Sprout Social: Social media analytics and insights (free trial available). (https://sproutsocial.com/)
- Brandwatch: Social media listening and analytics platform (free trial available). (https://www.brandwatch.com/)
- Buzzsumo: Content marketing insights and influencer identification tool (free trial available). (https://www.buzzsumo.com/)
- Talkwalker: Social media monitoring and analytics platform (free trial available). (https://www.talkwalker.com/)
Sustainability & Environmental Data:
- Committee on Climate Change (CCC): Independent advice on tackling climate change in the UK. (https://www.theccc.org.uk/)
- Met Office: Weather data, climate change information, and environmental data. (https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/)
- UK Green Building Council (UKGBC): Data on sustainable construction and green building trends. (https://www.ukgbc.org/)
Health & Wellbeing Data:
- The King’s Fund: Independent health research and analysis. (https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/)
- NHS Digital: Health data and statistics from the National Health Service. (https://digital.nhs.uk/)
- Mental Health Foundation: Data on mental health and wellbeing in the UK.
- Cancer Research UK: Cancer statistics and research data. (https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/)
Education & Skills Data:
- Department for Education – Education & Training Statistics: Education and training statistics from the Department for Education.
- Ofqual: Data on qualifications, assessment, and regulation in education. (https://www.ofqual.gov.uk/)
- The Sutton Trust: Research on social mobility and education. (https://www.suttontrust.com/)
- The Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI): Research and analysis on higher education policy. (https://www.hepi.ac.uk/)
Transport & Travel Data:
- Department for Transport (DfT): Transport statistics and data on roads, railways, and aviation. (https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport)
- Civil Aviation Authority (CAA): Data on air travel, airports, and aviation safety. (https://www.caa.org.uk/)
- National Highways: Data on traffic flow and road conditions on motorways and major A roads in England. (https://www.nationalhighways.co.uk/)
Culture & Entertainment Data:
- Office for National Statistics – Culture, Media & Sport: Data on cultural participation, leisure activities, and the creative industries.
- Arts Council England: Data on arts funding, cultural participation, and the creative economy. (https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/)
- Barbican Centre: Data on audience engagement and trends in performing arts. (https://www.barbican.org.uk/)
- British Film Institute (BFI): Data on the UK film industry, cinema attendance, and audience preferences. (https://www.bfi.org.uk/)
Public Opinion & Polling Data:
- YouGov: Polling data on public opinion and social attitudes (free basic account available). (https://yougov.co.uk/)
- Ipsos MORI: Polling data on public opinion, social issues, and political attitudes. ([invalid URL removed])
- NatCen Social Research: Social research data on a wide range of topics (some free data available). (https://www.natcen.ac.uk/)
- The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR): Public relations industry surveys and reports. (https://www.cipr.co.uk/)
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