The World Bank has launched a new Subnational Population Database covering 1,350 provincial, state and regional sub-state units worldwide. The database can be used for research on population distribution, development, intra-regional migration and urbanisation. The Subnational Population Database contains time series “population estimates for 75 countries… from 2000 to 2014, and includes the total population numbers for each area and the shares relative to total national population estimates.” The World Bank provides this caution: “In constructing this dataset, one of the biggest challenges is handling the changing subnational boundaries. As a result, some subnational population estimates might not reflect the current first level administrative unit framework. The World Bank describe this database as a ‘work-in-progress’ and continue to incorporate more and better data as they become available.” Access the database via the left menu > World Bank > Subnational Population Database via this page.

The Library has received four new data indicators in the expanded Cambridge Econometrics European Regional Database: (i) compensation of employees; (ii) gross fixed capital formation; (iii) capital Stocks and (iv) sub-state GDP. The European Regional Database contains multiple indicators for analysing European regional growth, convergence and competitiveness. Full details are on the Library’s ERD resource page.